


Hollowness, or The Beginning and the End of the Ship of Dreams

by WhiteravenGreywolf



Category: Lovecraft Country (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Titanic Fusion, Crazy kids in love on a sinking ship, F/F, First Meetings, Inspired by Titanic (1997), Physical Abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28086117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf
Summary: Christina saw this trip as an opportunity to escape her father's grasp on her life once and for all. Ruby didn't saw this trip coming, as she won the tickets but ten minutes before the boat left the wharf. Neither could foresee just how much stepping onto the Titanic would change their lives.
Relationships: Ruby Baptiste/Christina Braithwhite
Comments: 47
Kudos: 84





	1. All Aboard

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! It's Titanic AU time!  
> Just hear me out, alright? One is a rich heiress who wants to get away from her life and the other a poor artist with the poker skills to win her place on the Titanic? As soon as I noticed the parallels I just had to write it! But the parallels stop there. Chris and Ruby are not Rose and Jack and there would have been no point in forcing them into their roles, so I started from the movie and wrote an entirely different story from there. It's gonna be 8 chapters plus an epilogue (don't ask me how or why my stories are always 8 chapters, I wish I knew) and as usual, I'll be releasing a new chapter every day!  
> The title of the story comes from the book "Futility, or The Wreck of the Titan" by Morgan Robertson which famously predicted the sinking of the Titanic some 25 years before it happened.  
> I hope you're as excited about this story as I am! And now, without further ado, here's the first chapter!

They called it the ship of dreams, and Christina certainly hoped it would be. She had packed carefully for this trip. She'd taken all of her favorite dresses, her favorite books, all of her most expensive jewels. This was a one-way trip, she knew. The family company needed her father back in Boston, and Christina had a feeling this hurried return home was prompted by something else, something she wouldn't like.

  
They drove silently to the harbor, another car containing their many trunks following closely behind. Christina kept her eyes on the streets outside. They'd left London for Southampton in the early hours of the morning. Despite the car's plushy seats, it had been a very uncomfortable trip. Her father sat opposite her, reading the newspaper the whole time. Christina was glad she hadn't had to stare at her father's severe expression, but rather to a picture of the Titanic, so long it took half of the front page.

  
The silver car slowed down when they reached the harbor. They were not the only ones boarding the ship with a car or two or five. A massive crowd had amassed on the wharf, either to see the passengers off or simply to see the boat for itself.

  
Samuel Braithwhite folded his newspaper and placed it with unnecessary violence on the seat beside him.

  
"Why have we stopped?" he asked loudly.

  
The driver took a second to reply.

  
"I'm sorry, sir, but a few people are embarking ahead of us."

  
The blond man checked his pocket watch, although he seemed to be glaring at the hands, daring them to move forward.

  
"If we miss our boat I will sue," he said as he pocketed the watch back.

  
Christina wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't. It would do her no good if her father noticed it. Instead, she remained perfectly still, her back straight against the cushioned backrest. She had her back to the sea, and could only see the crowd through the window. They certainly seemed excited, she thought.

  
"You would think they would have better planned their ship's departure, especially a big eventful departure such as this one," her father continued to complain. "I suppose that's to be expected from a company like White Star."

  
Christina wanted to ask why her father had chosen to travel on this ship if he didn't like the company, but she held her tongue. Soon enough, the vehicle moved forward, until it stopped again. The driver spoke with someone outside, giving the name of his passengers, then cleared his throat and said:

  
"Sir, you must step out."

  
"If I must..."

  
Samuel opened the car door and walked out. Christina could hear him speaking with an employee from the company.

  
"Good morning, sir. If you wouldn't mind following mister Johnson, he will lead you aboard. All of your belongings will be brought along."

  
Christina decided this was as good a time as any to make an appearance. She suspected her father was capable of forgetting her in the car. Not capable, willing. She stepped out. She was wearing a light blue dress, with white lace sleeves. Her blond hair was pinned into an intricate bun. She'd forgone a hat. An expensive pearl and silver necklace was around her neck. She shut the carriage door behind her and turned around. The boat loomed over the whole wharf. Christina couldn't see the end of it. Black paint gave way to gold then white. The hull seemed punctured by hundreds of windows. She could barely see the funnels on top of it, though she could see the smoke rising from them, joining the clouds in the sky.

  
"This way, sir, miss," the young crew member said.

  
He led them aside, while the car was brought forward to be emptied of the suitcases by dockworkers. The young steward was in a white and gold uniform. He led them to a metal structure with stairs around. Two floors above them a small group of people escorted by another crew member was making its way up. The climb was made in silence, although they were surrounded by noise and the sound of thousands of people cheering the departure of the biggest ship mankind ever built.

  
At the top was a secured platform leading into the ship. Christina couldn't help but look down at the mass of people standing by the boat. What felt like a hundred feet below the lower classes were being embarked. Ahead of them the captain and the owner of the company were waiting to welcome each of the first-class passengers as if they were royalty. When they reached the door, Christina turned around, looking over Britain one last time before she followed her father inside.

* * *

The ticking of the clock was the only thing Ruby could still hear. The rowdy crowd in the bar, the sound of glasses clinking, and voices had fallen out of her mind. She glanced at the two men across the table. They'd wanted to test their poker skills, the fools, not knowing that Ruby and Leti's father had been a poker champion in his own right, who'd taught them everything he knew. One had already folded. The other was keeping a trained eye on the sisters.

  
In the pot at the center of the table was quite the pile of coins, alongside a few bills, everyone's watches, their mother's wedding ring, and two tickets for the Titanic. They were all in. Ruby couldn't allow herself to lose their mother's wedding ring. And she would be very mad if she lost her watch in the process too. And all their hard-earned money. But Leti had roped them in the game because no one disrespected Warren's daughters and their poker skills.

  
The final card was unveiled. Leti sighed and showed her hand. She had a pair of fours, but anything would be better than a pair of fours. The man across from them smiled like a shark, showing off two pairs, fours and tens. They all looked at Ruby expectedly. Ruby shook her head.

  
"I'm sorry Leti, I guess we're not going to Paris."

  
Leti turned at her with shock.

  
"What! And momma's ring! And our watches!"

  
The men smirked at each other. One reached for the pot, but Ruby smiled, and suddenly they grew anxious.

  
"No, instead, we are going back to America."

  
She unveiled her cards. She held two queens, making three of a kind with the queen of heart already on the table. Leti jumped out of her chair, the old wooden seat tumbling on the ground and attracting everyone's attention. She hugged Ruby and shouted:

  
"We're going on the fanciest ship in the world!"

  
She turned to the two disheartened men.

  
"Suck it!"

  
She opened her bag and began stashing the bot inside, giving Ruby's watch and their mother's ring back to her older sister. Ruby got a hold of the fancy tickets. She couldn't even imagine how much the two men had spent on them.

  
"You two better hurry," the bartender said. "Boat is leaving in a few minutes."

  
Ruby glanced at the time indicated on the tickets and the clock on the wall. They had ten minutes. The sisters exchanged a glance. Leti stashed even more money in her bag before Ruby dragged her away from the table. They rushed out of the bar.

  
They were just down the road from the wharf, but the crowd was massive. Ruby's bag was light, containing only a few articles of clothing, but she carried her guitar on her back. Leti's satchel was now heavy with coins, ringing like a bell with every step she took. They ran to the harbor. They didn't even have the time to admire the massive boat shadowing the entire wharf. Instead, Ruby spotted the entrance over the crowd and sprinted past the bystanders.

  
"Sorry, coming through! I'm trying to board! Sorry!" she shouted as she went, opening the passage for Leti who stayed close behind her. Some people moved aside but most were pushed, grumbling when they were hit by a bag or an elbow or their feet were stepped on. Ruby could barely breathe, and she could feel her heart pressing against her ribcage. They reached the third-class boarding line just as they were about to pull the platform away.

  
"Wait! We have tickets!" she shouted breathlessly.

  
She stopped by the crew member and handed him the tickets. He looked at them, then at the sisters. Ruby was bent at the waist, trying to catch her breath. Leti stood beside her, one hand on her side, pressing against a stitch.

  
"You're right on time," the man said without bothering to keep his annoyance in check.

  
"Aren't we?" Leti said with a sympathetic smile. "Wouldn't have missed a chance to board the greatest ship that ever was."

  
She grabbed Ruby by the elbow, took the tickets out of the man's hands, and stepped over the platform hurriedly. Ruby was still struggling to breathe, which wasn't helped when the salty air of the sea tickled her nose. Leti helped her up and inside the ship. Two members of the crew stepped in behind them and pulled the platform inside. The door was sealed.

  
"Let's go up on the bridge," Leti decided.

  
Ruby could only nod. Leti turned to the crew members.

  
"Gentlemen, what's the way to the bridge?"

  
"Follow the signs to your right," one of them said politely.

  
"Thank you."

  
Leti tried to support Ruby again, but Ruby brushed her hand away. She took deep, long breaths. It helped calm her breathing but not her heart. She couldn't quite believe it yet. They were on a boat home. Not just any boats. The biggest, most luxurious boat in the world. They said this boat was so luxurious that third-class passengers were being treated like first-class passengers on other ships. She waited to see it to believe it.

  
They followed the signs as indicated. The stairs and corridors were made of white wood. Ruby could still smell the paint. Many people were coming and going there, from passengers looking for their cabins to crewmen still making beds and helping people find their way through the labyrinth of corridors. Even with maps on the walls, Ruby would rather not get lost in this ship.

  
They reached the bridge, and Ruby's already short, disheveled hair was ruffled even more by the wind. They were so high, the people on the wharf looked like ants. Ruby had never had vertigo before, but she supposed there was a beginning to everything. She approached the banister carefully. The boat was pulling away from the wharf. Many people around them were waving away at the people they knew and didn't know. Leti hugged Ruby.

  
"We did it!"

  
Ruby sighed with relief.

  
"You're not mad we're going back home?" Ruby asked.

  
"Are you kidding me? We're sailing on the best ship in the world! And who knows, maybe we can win tickets for the trip back when we get to New York."

  
Ruby chucked. She looked on at the city. The ground seemed to be vibrating beneath them, as the massive motors pushed the ship away from Southampton and toward the channel. She had a feeling this was going to be a good trip.

* * *

Their cabin was a whole apartment, including a private terrace and two suites separated by a living room. Everything was as richly decorated as their London home. Crimson wallpapers gave way to gilding on the corners of the room. The furniture was made from the finest wood and the most expensive cloth. There was even a fireplace.

  
All of Christina's things were being brought to her suite, as crew members struggled to carry the heavy trunks through the massive rooms. Her father was supervising the whole affair with an intense gaze. Christina really wouldn't want to be in the place of the poor crewmen. She thanked them for bringing her suitcases into the room. Her maid – and father's spy – Delilah was already emptying the clothes out of her trunk and into the large wardrobe. She'd placed the box containing all of Christina's jewels on the vanity. Christina went to open the box and looked inside. The jewel box had two drawers which could be pulled out to the side to reveal a bigger container, and another drawer hidden underneath. All in all, it contained three necklaces, five bracelets, nine rings, and four pairs of earrings, all made with at least one gem. Her father was partial to diamonds, but she had a few rubies and sapphires and even an emerald in the mix. A small fortune, she knew. Enough for anyone to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

  
She shut the box and turned to Delilah.

  
"Please leave my books in their trunk. I will take the ones I want to read out when I feel like reading."

  
"Yes, miss Braithwhite."

  
She left the bedroom and found her father in the living room, giving a tip to the highest-ranking officer who'd also supervised their suitcases.

  
"Father, I will be back before dinner," she said. "I will take a short walk on the deck before we're too far from the coast."

  
"What a grand idea," he said. "Delilah, once you're done with Christina's trunk take care of mine, please."

  
He opened the door to their suite. Christina pursed her lips. She'd intended to get away from her father, explore the ship and maybe bribe an officer or two, to plan ahead of time. But with her father there, she knew she wouldn't be able to do any of this.

  
"After you."

  
Reluctantly, with a cold fire burning in the pit of her stomach, Christina left the cabin.

* * *

Ruby and Leti got lost twice on their way to their cabin. Another proof to Ruby that this ship was a maze, and that she certainly wouldn't want to be wandering through it alone. Eventually, they found their cabin, a small room packed with two bunk beds. One of the beds was already taken by a young woman. She was laying on the bottom right bed, flipping through a book. When the sisters walked in, their shoulders sore from their heavy bags, she sat up. She was a young Asian woman, her long black hair tied into a bun. She wore a white blouse and a black skirt.

  
"Hey, we're your cabin mates," Leti said with a friendly smile as they stepped inside.

  
"Hi," the young woman said politely.

  
"I'm taking top-bunk," Leti declared as she threw her clinking bag on the bed. She jumped beside it and began counting all the coins they'd pocketed after their game. Ruby took a glance around the room. It was a lot cleaner than the cabin they'd taken on their way to Europe, but then again the ship was new. She set her guitar in a corner and sighed in relief. Then, she turned to their cabin mate.

  
"Hi, I'm Ruby. The rude girl on the bed is my sister Letitia."

  
She held out her hand and the woman shook it.

  
"I'm Ji-ah, it's nice to meet you."

  
She had a slight accent when she spoke, but not a British accent. Leti picked up on it immediately.

  
"Where're you from, Ji-ah?"

  
"I'm from Korea, but I moved to the United States with my mother when I was younger."

  
"And why were you in England?"

  
"Leti," Ruby hissed between her teeth.

  
"What? I'm just being polite, making small talks."

  
"It's alright," Ji-ah assured. "I went to London to train as a nurse."

  
"Couldn't be trained in the US?" Leti asked.

  
"The training I received in the US wasn't as good as it could have been."

  
"Hear, hear," Leti said.

  
"What about you?"

  
"We're a singing traveling act," Leti replied. "Ruby plays the guitar and I sing."

  
"We both sing," Ruby replied.

  
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we won those tickets a few hours ago, so we're here now."

  
Ji-ah was surprised.

  
"You won your tickets?"

  
"Yeah, we fleeced some guys who should have kept their mouths shut about our poker skills."

  
Ji-ah laughed.

  
"Well, in that case, I'm glad you're the ones who embarked, and not those two men."

  
Leti jumped from her bed.

  
"Have you explored the ship yet? We got lost a couple of times but I think we haven't seen nothing yet. What do you say the three of us take a look around?"

  
"Sure."

  
"Ruby?"

  
"Yeah, let's go."


	2. A Match is Lit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The days drag on and Christina yearns for freedom

Christina rose on the morning of the 12th of April with the desire to hide under the bed for the rest of the day until everyone forgot she existed. Of course, Delilah had stomped into her room and pulled the curtains open, and it became obvious that no one was going to forget that she existed. She got dressed with her maid's help – because those expensive dresses couldn't be put on alone, it was a feature and not a bug – and met her father on the private terrace for breakfast.

  
He was deep in a magazine about horse races. She certainly hoped he wasn't going to turn to horse races to diversify their fortunes. He already had enough flaws, he didn't need to become a gambler too.

  
"Will you be coming on a walk with me today, father?" she asked.

  
She took a sip of her coffee and waited for her father to answer. She waited a good minute, knowing he'd heard her but wanted to finish his paragraph before answering.

  
"No, I don't think I will. But Delilah will keep you company on the bridge," he said.

  
She remembered not to roll her eyes. Of course, Delilah would be coming. She knew she was growing impatient. If her plan worked – and it would work, she was sure of it – then she was less than a week from freedom. She could stand one last week. A week was nothing after decades of what she'd endured.

  
"And if you go out don't be late," he added swiftly. "We are having lunch with the Astors and the Strausses"

  
"Yes, father."

  
She left the table as quickly as she could, and headed to her bedroom, where she barely held back the will to punch a pillow. Her eyes fell on the trunk full of books. Just five more days, she told herself. Five more days and she would be free.

  
She walked around the bridge, Delilah trailing her like a shadow. A very loud and annoying shadow. She said nothing, gave no reactions to the comments Christina could make, but followed, her eyes always on Christina's back. The air on the bridge was cold, the wind just strong enough to blow away hats, and the sky clear. Christina liked the smell of the sea, however, it was mingled with the stench of gasoline and cigar smoke at all times, wherever she was on the deck.

  
She had walked the length of the boat, already bored out of her mind, when she decided to return to her cabin. However, before she could step inside, she was intercepted by a group of first-class women of various ages.

  
"Miss Braithwhite, would you like to accompany us on our morning walk?"

  
She recognized the women. They'd been at their table during the nine-course dinner the evening before. She'd tuned them out then and she would have told them to go to hell if Delilah hadn't been following her. She needed to keep up appearances, unfortunately.

  
"It would be my pleasure."

  
So she walked beside them as they prattled on about how gorgeous the ship was, and grand everything was. She once again tuned them out. She kept her eyes out for the signs on the walls. There was one elevator that she knew of, and she assumed it went as far down as it could. It was reserved for first-class, meaning it would be easy for her to go down. She might have to bribe an officer to open the door for her, though, which she'd planned for.

  
When she finally returned to her cabin, she had a serious headache. She went to change for lunch and spared another wistful glance at the book trunk. Soon, she kept repeating herself. Soon. As was expected, lunch was a boring drag. She was expected to make conversation with the women, but she wanted to listen to the men talking business. She was about to light a cigarette when her father ripped it out of her fingers. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she would probably kill everyone in that dining room for a cigarette at this point. If her father thought an unmarried girl who smoked was unattractive, wait until he heard what people thought of a mass murdered unmarried girl.

  
The will to kill dissipated somewhat in the afternoon, as she read alone in the cabin. Her father had gone with the men in the smoking-room. As time ticked by, boredom returned, and the nagging feeling of hollowness reappeared in her chest. Soon. It wasn't enough to quell the hollowness anymore. It seemed to grow exponentially. For a moment, Christina feared it would eat her whole being. It made her want to cry, but she pushed the tears down.

  
"Miss Braithwhite? It's almost dinner time."

  
Christina turned to Delilah. Her maid must have been standing in the corner of the room most if not all afternoon. She'd gone once to fetch her a coffee, and then the blonde had forgotten that she was even there. At least she wouldn't have much to report to her father.

  
"Please inform my father the motion of the boat isn't agreeing with me. I'm going to bed."

  
That wasn't true, and it wasn't an excuse she would be able to use often, but she needed it tonight. Needed the semblance of freedom faking sea sickness gave her.

  
"Yes, miss."

  
Delilah helped her out of her dress and Christina got ready for bed. She was seating in front of her vanity, brushing her long blonde hair. Behind her, Delilah was done folding the worn dress.

  
"You can go and have dinner. I'll go to bed in a second."

  
"Yes, miss. Good evening, miss."

  
She left and closed the bedroom door behind her. Christina didn't hear any other door, though, and she suspected the maid was standing guard outside to make sure Christina wasn't going anywhere. As if she would be going anywhere but in bed now that she was wearing her nightgown. She finished brushing her hair and finally, she heard the cabin door shut. Slight relief filled her chest, although it wasn't much against the overwhelming feeling of emptiness. She placed the brush on the vanity and passed a hand through her hair. Her eyes left her reflection and fell on the jewel box. She would have to find a time to sew those in the lining of her jacket before the end of the week. There was no other way to smuggle them out discreetly, she thought. Maybe she could even do it now.

  
She opened the trunk full of books and pulled them out, two or three at a time, making small stacks on the floor. Then, she lifted the fake bottom of the trunk. Underneath it was a small bag, a pair of shoes, pants, a shirt, a newsboy cap, and a jacket. She reached for the jacket and suddenly noticed her hands were trembling. She glanced at the door, but no one was coming. She let out a shaky breath. In a week, these would be her disguise out of this hell. She itched to put them on. She slid the jacket over her nightgown. It was just a bit too big. The white stripes on it made her look taller. She looked at herself in the mirror. Now she wanted to put on the whole outfit. She hadn't tried it on yet. She bit her lower lip thoughtfully. A test run would be good, she thought. Just once, to make sure the plan would work.

* * *

Ruby finished her pint with an eye roll.

  
"Seriously, what's so wrong about trying to make a few more pennies?" Leti asked from the other side of the table.

  
Ji-ah sat beside Leti, nursing her pint with care. If the night before had taught her anything, it was that Leti was very heavy when she was drunk.

  
"Cause no one else's been demanding money to play so far?" Ruby replied.

  
"We're not demanding money," Leti replied. "Just passing a little hat around, they can put whatever they want in."

  
"If you start to ask for tips, everyone else is gonna start asking for tips."

  
"It's just smart business."

  
Ruby turned to Ji-ah.

  
"What do you think?"

  
"I'm not getting in this debate. You're the singing duo, you decide."

  
Truth was, they hadn't been a singing duo in a while, not since Leti sang most if not all of their songs. And while Ruby refused to simply be the side to Leti's singing, it was certainly feeling more and more like it.

  
"I say we just ask," Leti said. "Ain't nothing wrong about asking."

  
"You ask once you've sobered up. I'm gonna get another."

  
Ruby stood up with her glass in hand and made her way to the counter. The smoking room was mostly like a bar, full of smoke, laughter, music, and glasses breaking. She placed the empty glass on the counter and a few coins beside it, and the bartender understood the silent order. They only served beer, and it wasn't the highest grade, but it was better than anything. She glanced beside her. A tall skinny person was leaning against the bar in a coat just a bit too big for them. A guy, maybe, she thought. The hair was hidden under a cap. He wore a white shirt and black pants. He was leaning his elbow against the countertop, struggling with a small match to light his cigarette.

  
"Want a hand with that?" she asked.

  
The man looked up, and Ruby realized it was a woman. Cold icy eyes, long eyelashes, high cheekbones, a jaw sharp like the edge of a knife, a dimple digging into her chin. She kept her cap low to hide her face. She was androgynous enough, but the moment she spoke, she broke the spell.

  
"You don't mind?"

  
"If I can snag one."

  
The stranger nodded. Ruby pulled a cigarette from the pack on the counter, placed it between her lips, then pulled a match from the matchbook. With one nimble stroke, she lit the match, the stranger's cigarette and hers. The light flickered in the stranger's blue eyes. Then, Ruby shook the match, extinguishing the flame, and placed it in the ashtray. She took a drag. The bartender brought her pint back.

  
"So, what brings you here?" Ruby asked.

  
"This is the third-class smoking room, isn't it? Where else would I be in the evening?"

  
Ruby smirked.

  
"I don't know. Upstairs, with your kind of people."

  
The stranger frowned.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
Ruby smirked, amused.

  
"Don't play dumb with me, girl. Those are the goddamn shiniest shoes I've ever seen in my life. Even out the box, they aren't that new-looking. You're not fooling anybody."

  
She took another drag and shook the ash off in the ashtray.

  
"Question is, how did you end up here?"

  
"You tell me if you're so smart," the stranger replied, as amused by the situation as she was.

  
Ruby took a sip of beer, then said:

  
"You probably brided your way down. There isn't a single door money can't open in this world. Why though?"

  
"Can't you guess that too?"

  
"Why would a rich girl dress like a man to come down here and have a smoke? There are only two people who know that, you, and God."

  
The stranger chuckled.

  
"Maybe God could enlighten me, then. I was supposed to go to bed and suddenly I decided to take a stroll, and the next thing you know, I've given a hundred bucks to the elevator op, and I'm standing here, talking to you, finally smoking a goddamn cigarette."

  
"God works in mysterious ways."

  
"That he does."

  
The stranger finished her cigarette, crushing the butt in the ashtray. She pocketed the pack but didn't walk away. She continued to lean on the counter and look at Ruby. Her eyes were bewildering, the way she looked at Ruby made her feel suddenly warmer.

  
"Do they have nothing but beer?" the stranger asked.

  
"Should have stayed upstairs if you wanted something fancier."

  
"Trust me, I've been here just a few minutes and they've already been more entertaining than two days in first-class."

  
Ruby couldn't exactly tell whether the stranger was bragging intentionally or not, so she decided to ignore it.

  
"People are smiling, having fun, the music's good..."

  
Ruby snored. She took one last drag of her cigarette and crushed the butt.

  
"The music's good if you're into Irish folk song, which, to be fair, quite a few people here are."

  
"Not your style, then?"

  
"I doubt a rich girl like you would know what my style is."

  
Ruby picked up her glass intending to leave, but she suddenly saw Leti running her way.

  
"Ruby! They're okay to let us sing tomorrow evening, and if we're good, we can sing every night."

  
Ruby faked a smile. Leti didn't even realize the stranger behind them was listening in.

  
"It's great," Ruby lied.

  
Leti stole Ruby's pint, took a large gulp, and walked away. Behind her, the stranger was trying to hold in her laughter.

  
"So, Ruby, you're going to be singing tomorrow. Should I come back?"

  
Ruby rolled her eyes and drank.

  
"What's to say they'll even let you back down here tomorrow?"

  
"A hundred bucks is nothing. And I'd like to hear you sing," the stranger added, her eyes devouring Ruby and stopping on her lips.

  
"Keep staring at me like that and I'll throw you overboard myself. Hope you won't mind swimming your way to New York."

  
"Actually, I do. The water is around 28°F this time of year. I can assure you I'd be long dead before I make it to New York. What can I for you to allow me back down here tomorrow night?"

  
Ruby chuckled.

  
"I'm not the boss here. If you want to come, you come. But fine, give me your name and I won't denounce you, not that I think it would change anything."

  
"You can call me William."

  
"You don't look like a William to me."

  
"It's my name now."

  
"Fine. William. I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

  
Ruby picked up her half-drunk pint and walked away, leaving William alone by the counter, feeling her eyes on her as she disappeared into the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> I've had a pretty terrible night and a very unproductive morning. Posting this chapter is probably going to be the most productive thing I'll do all day long. Today I'm just going to sit on my couch and watch Charlize Theron movies. It sounds like a good plan to me.  
> But don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow with the next chapter, so I'll see you then!


	3. What's in a Name?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christina's father suspects nothing, and Ruby is getting ready to impress.

Christina left the breakfast table with a feeling of deep satisfaction. Her father had looked at her and said nothing because he knew nothing of her escapade. It had been an absolute success. She was confident that she could do it again, maybe even that evening. She was looking forward to hearing Ruby sing. Somehow, she imagined it would be the highlight of her trip.

  
After breakfast, she went to take a walk around the bridge, because what else was she supposed to do on this godforsaken boat? Thankfully this time no gossiping daddy's girls intercepted her. However, Delilah was still shadowing her. The air had grown colder still, and Christina wished she'd brought a jacket. She was thinking about going back to her cabin when she heard gentle music. It seemed to be coming from the deck below. The wind was picking up the notes and carrying them down the ship.

  
Christina walked up to the end of the deck. The stairs leading down were blocked by a small gate. As she looked down, she saw Ruby. The woman was wrapped in a woolen shawl, seating on a chair and tuning the strings of an old guitar. Christina smiled at the sight, thinking Ruby was getting ready for her performance this evening. She wanted to speak to her more than anything, but with Delilah beside her, it would be like tempting the devil.

  
"Delilah, I think I'm going to stay here and read," she said as she sat in one of the wooden lounging chairs against the wall. "Could you bring me the book on my bedside table and a shawl? And a cup of tea. I'll wait for you here."

  
"Yes, miss."

  
Delilah walked away and Christina stayed in the chair longer, staring at the ocean, waiting to make sure Delilah wasn't spying on her. Ruby was done tuning her guitar and she began playing a gentle ballad. Christina listened carefully, her eyes on the cold gentle waves passing them by. The long-forgotten memory of soft lullabies came to her mind, and she had to fight the feeling of melancholia in her chest. As the song came to an end, and she was certain Delilah had gone to fulfill her request, she stood up and leaned over the railing.

  
"Is this what you're going to play tonight?" Christina asked loudly, making Ruby jump in surprise. "It sounds splendid."

  
Ruby looked up at her with a smirk. She stood up and took a step toward the banister, guitar in one hand. She looked up and down at Christina, at her long hair held into a tight bun, her expensive white dress, the diamond bracelet around her wrist. She clicked her tongue and said:

  
"Do you still go by William in that dress?"

  
Christina smiled.

  
"I'm not going to shout you my name if that's what you're asking."

  
"You know mine, it's only fair that I would know yours too, don't you think?"

  
Christina thought for a second, then said:

  
"How about that? There's a bottle of seventy-five-year-old Scotch in my cabin. How about you join me for a nightcap, after your performance?"

  
Ruby raised an eyebrow.

  
"In your cabin?"

  
"No, on the bridge, actually. At the stern, hidden from the wind."

  
"Maybe I don't want to know your name that bad."

  
"I'll leave it up to you. I'll be seeing you tonight."

  
Christina reluctantly stepped away from the banister and sat back down in the chair. Not a moment sooner, Delilah returned with her book and shawl.

  
"Your tea will be ready in a moment, miss."

  
Christina wrapped herself in the delicate lace shawl. Music began to play again from beneath her. Christina smiled, hiding it behind her book.

* * *

Ruby felt William's eyes on her before she noticed the blonde. She was back by the bar, a lit cigarette between her lips. When she noticed Ruby had seen her, she smiled and waved at her. Ruby shook her head and looked away. She could not let this pesky young rich woman drag her into trouble.

  
Beside her, Leti was finishing her second pint in fifteen minutes, as if she wanted to prove she could do a great performance even drunk. Ji-ah hadn't even taken a drink that night. Leti yawned and said:

  
"D'you think I've time for another?"

  
"Maybe you should stop?" Ji-ah suggested politely.

  
"Nah, it's fine..."

  
She yawned again.

  
"I'm just gonna take a nap first..."

  
Leti rested her head on the table. Ji-ah glanced at Ruby.

  
"She's not going to be able to perform."

  
"Her loss," Ruby decided.

  
The truth was she was eager to perform alone and show William what she was capable of. She wanted the blonde to hear her and only her. She finished her pint and stood up.

  
"Don't wake her up."

  
She made her way through the tables, glancing at William on her way to the man standing by the side of the stage. A satisfied smirk appeared on William's lips. Ruby stopped by the man and said:

  
"My sister's not playing tonight, but I can do it alone."

  
"Suit yourself. When the song's over, the stage is yours."

  
Ruby looked back at William who was extinguishing her cigarette, her steely blue eyes never leaving Ruby. The jig ended, the violins died down, and Ruby stepped up on stage. The people dancing in the middle of the room applauded, both for the band and the arrival of the new performer. Ruby was handed an old guitar by one of the bandmates. When the applause died down, she said loudly:

  
"Good evening everyone. My name is Ruby and it's my pleasure to be singing for you tonight."

  
She played a few notes. She glanced at William, then purposefully looked away from her as she began to sing. Her voice carried into the smoking-room as silence fell, and all listened to the song. She'd chosen a classic, once she'd sang a hundred times already. _Let Me Call You Sweetheart_. The song was short and sweet. The crowd listened with rapture. No one danced or made so much as a sound. Then, halfway through the chorus, one of the violists began playing, accompanying her guitar and voice.

  
As the song ended, Ruby dared a look at William. The blonde was slack-jawed. Ruby smirked and played the last few notes on her guitar. The whole room was filled with cheers and applause. The band members congratulated her. She gave them the guitar back and stepped off the stage. The man from before told her:

  
"You can come back to play anytime."

  
"Thanks, I'll think about it."

  
Her eyes found William's again. She'd picked up her jaw from the floor and was now waiting for her. Ruby was about to make her way there, but she was intercepted by a now fully awake Leti.

  
"Why did you go on stage without me?"

  
Ji-ah had run after her but hadn't managed to keep up with her.

  
"Because you were drunk and you fell asleep on the table," Ruby replied, crossing her arms.

  
"You could have just woken me up!"

  
Ruby rolled her eyes.

  
"If you want to go sing on stage, you can go."

  
Leti pouted, and Ruby could tell that she definitely hadn't sobered up.

  
"I think I'll go to bed..."

  
"Good idea."

  
Leti began walking out of the room.

  
"I'll make sure she makes it in one piece," Ji-ah said.

  
"You don't have to."

  
"It's alright. I was about to retire anyway. Your song was really good, by the way."

  
Ji-ah followed Leti out of the smocking-room. Ruby turned to the bar, but William had disappeared. She frowned.

  
"So? Are we going to try the Scotch, or would you rather retire for the night too?"

  
Ruby jumped in surprise. That sneaky bitch had made her way around the crowd to Ruby without her even noticing. She turned to look at William and said:

  
"I don't know. Watching your jaw fall to the floor was satisfaction enough."

  
The blonde smiled.

  
"I was certain a siren had walked on stage. It certainly seemed like it, anyway."

  
Ruby rolled her eyes.

  
"Will you finally tell me your name now, or would you rather I keep calling you William?"

  
"Christina," the blonde replied without missing a beat. "My name is Christina."

* * *

They found a spot against the wall at the back of the ship, hidden from the cold ocean wind. They sat bundled together side by side. The light above them made it easy to see the deck, but the water below was just a vast sea of darkness. Almost as soon as they sat down, Christina pulled a metal flask from her pocket, uncorked it, and handed it to Ruby, offering her the first swig. Ruby looked at the flask. It was a silver rectangular flask with engravings of the book of Genesis on it. Adam and the tree on one side, Eve and the snake on the other.

  
"Couldn't bring the whole bottle?" Ruby joked before taking a swig.

  
The Scotch was strong but it warmed her up swiftly. She handed the flask back to Christina, who took a swig of her own.

  
"I may have lied about the bottle. But I didn't lie about the Scotch. It's my father's favorite. He was saving it for when we arrived in New York."

  
It was a small petty thing but until freedom and the end of the trip, she lived on small petty revenge. She took another swig before handing the flask back to Ruby.

  
"You're traveling with your family then?" she asked the blonde.

  
A sour grimace passed over her features.

  
"My father isn't much family anymore. Everyone else is dead."

  
"I'm sorry."

  
"Don't be. He never deserved any of us. Not me or my brother, and certainly not my mother."

  
The light golden chain around her neck seemed to burn her skin. It was the only jewel she could not and would not part with, even if it exposed her in the end. Her mother's locket was hidden beneath her shirt.

  
"What about you?" Christina asked. "Who are you traveling with?"

  
Ruby gulped Scotch and passed the flask to the blonde with a sigh before she answered:

  
"My younger sister. Leti. After our mother died we decided to go to Europe, travel a bit."

  
"And now you're going home."

  
Ruby chuckled. Home was a tiny apartment on the South Side of Chicago she wasn't certain the landlord hadn't given to someone else by now.

  
"It was kind of an accident, actually. We won the tickets on a poker game."

  
Christina laughed, and the sound did something to Ruby's heart. It sounded foreign and lovely all at once.

  
"Congratulation, then."

  
Ruby rolled her eyes and pulled the flask out of the blonde's hand. Their fingers brushed. She took another swig then handed it back to Christina.

  
"So tell me, has God finally told you why you dressed like a man to smoke in the third-class smoking room?"

  
Christina pursed her lips thoughtfully. Then, she said:

  
"I don't need God to give me the answer to that. This costume," she pulled on the jacket, "is my ticket out of here. When the ship arrives in New York I'll sneak into the third-class and leave the boat that way. Hopefully, my father will still be looking for me when I'm already long gone."

  
"This is what you're after? Freedom?"

  
Christina took another sip of Scotch and looked at Ruby with confusion as if she couldn't understand what was so laughable about wanting freedom.

  
"You wouldn't survive a day in my shoes," she said before taking another gulp.

  
Ruby laughed.

  
"Really? You think you'd survive? Counting every penny for the odd chance of food and shelter is not a fun way to live."

  
"Who says I'll be living in poverty?" Christina said with a smirk.

  
She opened her jacket, revealing a cut in the doubling.

  
"When the time comes, I'll stuff it with all the jewels I own. Probably enough diamonds to live easy for the rest of my life. Travel the world a bit, maybe buy a nice cottage away from everyone. Do absolutely whatever I want, whenever I want."

  
Ruby took the flask Christina was handing to her. It was almost empty. She tried to give it back to the blonde but Christina shook her head. Ruby finished the Scotch.

  
"And if it doesn't work? If you get found out before you can get away? What would happen?"

  
Christina didn't want to think about it. She hadn't thought about it, purposefully, pushing her thoughts away from it every time it brushed her mind.

  
"I guess I'll jump," Christina replied.

  
Now she regretted not finishing the Scotch.

  
"If I aim right I can fall in the ship's propellers and I'll be turned to mush before anyone can save me."

  
A long shiver ran down Ruby's back at the blonde's words. The sliver of moon in the sky was refracting in her eye. She had a faraway, thoughtful look.

  
"I won't let it come to that," Ruby said decisively.

  
Christina looked at her with surprise.

  
"Really? You would help me? Why?"

  
"Because if you'd rather die this horrible death rather than spend another day with your father, then there's a real problem. And I can't just let you jump like that."

  
Never mind why, Ruby thought. Never mind the helpless beating of her heart at the mere thought that something bad might happen to the blonde.

  
"But I won't do it for nothing, let's be clear."

  
Christina smirked.

  
"I'd cheer to equal opportunities, but we're out of Scotch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I'm still not a hundred percent today, maybe because I had this one stressful meeting with a teacher this afternoon. Hopefully once this has passed and with me watching cartoons on Netflix all day I'll be back to writing tomorrow.  
> When I planned to have Ruby sing I did not anticipate how difficult it would be to find a well-known song with lyrics back in 1912! Let Me Call You Sweetheart has had many, many versions over the years (they even sang the chorus in an episode of Adventure Time).  
> Oh, and that story about being turned to mush in the propellers of the boat? It's absolutely possible, at least it was possible with early 20th-century ships. You could not lower a lifeboat in the water if the engine were still running or the lifeboat would be sucked toward the propellers and everyone on board ground up like fruits in a blender. It's what happened when the sister ship to the Titanic, the Britannic, sunk during World War I...  
> Anyway, as usual, I hope you enjoyed chapter 3 and I'll see you tomorrow for the next one!


	4. Saving Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christina's plans are precipitated into motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, I need to start this chapter with a Trigger Warning for physical abuse. Nothing too graphic but it's a father hitting his daughter, so if don't think you can stand it, I recommend you skip this chapter.

Christina felt her heart jump to her throat when she arrived at the breakfast table. Her father wasn't reading anything this morning. It worried her. Her father was always reading the newspaper or whatever periodical had just arrived at breakfast. It was as if he couldn't suffer to look at his daughter more than necessary. She paused by the chair and hesitated to sit down.

  
"Good morning," her father said as he sipped his coffee.

  
Christina took a deep breath and sat in her chair. She reached for the coffee pot but her father pulled it away from her.

  
"Where were you last night?" he asked.

  
His eyes were like frozen lakes, harsh, unbreakable, impossible to see what lurked beneath. They stayed on Christina, waiting for her answer. She struggled to calm her heart.  
"I was in bed, where else would I have been?" she lied.

  
She was a perfect liar. Decades of lying had made it easier to lie to her father rather than tell him the truth. She acted as casually as she could, reaching for the coffee pot again. This time, he let her take it. Christina's shoulders relaxed visibly. Before she could pour any, however, he said:

  
"Why couldn't Delilah find you last night then?"

  
Christina frowned.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"I mean she went into your bedroom, and you weren't there."

  
Christina's heart stopped in her chest. She feigned that it was still beating.

  
"I must have been in the bathroom, then..."

  
Her father's hand hit the table with such strength that all the plates and cutlery flew from the tablecloth. They clattered back on the table loudly. Christina jumped back.

  
"Stop lying to me," he said, his voice sharp like a knife.

  
Christina fell silent. The angrier her father grew, the fewer words her tongue could articulate.

  
"Where were you?"

  
"On the bridge, reading," she muttered, her gaze falling away from her father.

  
"Were you alone?"

  
She nodded.

  
"No one saw me."

  
"I highly doubt that. Didn't I warn you this trip was important?"

  
Christina tried to explain, to give a fake, meek answer, but her father's icy gaze pinned her lips shut.

  
"Didn't I warn you? I'm trying to make business connections and you're going around my back, doing God knows what. So this is what is going to happen. You're going to get ready for church, and you're going to stay where I can see you. And if I'm not with you, Delilah has to be. And because you can't be trusted, she will stay outside of your room all night."

  
Christina clenched her teeth in anger. She was supposed to meet with Ruby that evening, but she wouldn't be able to now.

  
"Now go. If you wanted breakfast you shouldn't have lied to me."

  
Christina was about to stand up when she paused. Don't do this, a voice begged her. Think of the plan, think of the few days left. A much louder, angrier voice said 'Do it'.

  
"No."

  
Her father looked back at her with fury in his eyes. She was used to his cold anger, the icy glares, like icebergs, hiding so much more beneath than he was letting show. This fiery anger was new. Christina had never seen it before, she hadn't been taught to fear it.

  
"I think what you meant was 'yes, father'."

  
"I said no. I'm done letting you push me around. I won't go to church, and if I want to go and read alone, peacefully on the deck, I..."

  
She felt the sting of metal, and the taste of copper filled her mouth. She lost her balance and caught herself at the edge of the table. Her father had backhanded her. His Harvard alumni ring had broken her skin and her teeth had cut the inside of her cheek. A red mark appeared on her pale cheek. It would bruise soon enough, she knew from the feeling alone.

  
"Go get ready," her father said, enunciating every syllable slowly.

  
Christina glared back at him with all the fire she was capable of, and for a second she thought she saw her father reaching for the butter knife, his fingers twitching around the silver handle.

  
"No."

  
"Fine, if you want to act like a child, I'll treat you like a child."

  
He stood suddenly and grabbed Christina's arm so forcefully she yelped. He dragged her out of her seat. She was barely a few inches shorter than him but he dragged her back inside as if he were handling a doll. She pulled back. He clenched his fist harder, and for a second she feared he would break her bone.

  
"Let me go!" she shouted.

  
She fought him as hard as she could. She kicked at his legs. She held onto the door frame. Still, it wasn't enough. He pulled harshly and she lost her balance and fell to the ground, her arm still in her father's grasp.

  
"I said let me go!"

  
She continued to kick back. She tried to punch his arm to free herself. Still, his grasp strengthened. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she yelled in pain.

  
"Let me go!"

  
He threw her in her bedroom as if she weighed nothing. She hit the hardwood floor heavily. She pushed herself up hurriedly, but he shut the door on her. She banged on the door, then tried the handle but he had locked her in.

  
"I will let you out when we reach New York. Maybe then you will stop acting like a child."

  
Christina punched the door, again and again, shouting:

  
"Let me out!"

  
She shouted until her voice was sore. She banged until her fists were bloodied. She picked up books from the trunks and threw them at the blood-stained door but nothing would make it budge. Eventually, she collapsed against the wall and fought like hell to keep in her tears.

* * *

Christina looked up when the door to her cabin was unlocked. Delilah walked in, carrying a tray with Christina's lunch on it.

  
"Mister Braithwhite said he would let you out if you were ready to apologize."

  
Christina clenched her teeth with anger.

  
"Why don't you go lick his boots some more, and come back once they're fucking clean."

  
Delilah left the tray on her vanity and walked out. The sound of the key twisting in the lock was deafening. Christina pushed herself up and went to inspect the tray. There were green beans and poultry swimming in a grayish gravy. She was hungry, but she absolutely did not want to touch the food. She feared it would be poisoned somehow. She'd been given a butter knife, too, like a child, not sharp enough to cut the meat most likely. She wanted to throw the whole tray to the ground, just to see how much Delilah appreciated cleaning the mess.

  
She caught her reflection in the mirror. Strands of disheveled hair had fallen out of her bun. There was a distinctive bruise on the side of her face, her lip was cut and swelling. She knew she had her father's handprint in purple on her arm. She sat down at the vanity and began pulling pins off of her hair, letting them clatter into the full plate. She let her hair fall free. She met her reflection's eyes. There was a fire burning in them. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Fuck soon. She wanted now. And she was going to get it.

  
She threw the books out of the trunks and freed her costume. Then, she reached for her sewing kit and jewel box. She stashed the content of the entire box in the doubling of the jacket. It was thick enough to hide the shape of the gems now lining the garment. She hurriedly patched the hole, secured it with neat, precise stitching – and here she thought those stitching lessons had been a waste of time. Then, she tore her dress off of her and changed. Now, to wait...

  
The opportunity came when Delilah returned to give her dinner. When the maid stepped inside, she found Christina's cold lunch spread on the floor of the room. She hurriedly came to try and clean it, dropping the dinner tray on the ground beside her. For a second, she forgot that the room was supposed to contain someone. Then, she was hit by a stool. She fell headfirst in the gravy and beans. Christina threw the stool away and ran out of the door.

* * *

"And you're supposed to see her again tonight?" Leti asked between two bites of mashed potato.

  
"She said she'd come," Ruby replied.

  
"I don't know, seems kind of dangerous to me."

  
"She'd rather die than spend another week with her father. I can't just stand by and let her."

  
"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the flirting."

  
Ruby frowned.

  
"What flirting?"

  
"Oh come on, with all you've described me? She's definitely flirting with you, and it kinda sounds like you're flirting back."

  
Ruby shook her head.

  
"We're not. Ji-ah, does it sound like flirting?"

  
"I mean... kinda?"

  
Ruby rolled her eyes.

  
"We're not flirting, alright? Once she's out of the boat, we're going our separate ways."

  
"That's what you say now..."

  
Ruby would rather change the subject. So what if she didn't mind being around Christina? The blonde had her own plans, and they would have plans of their own soon once they got her money. And if there was flirting – which there wasn't, no matter how charming Christina was – then it wouldn't lead to anything.

  
Someone suddenly sat down beside her. Everyone's gaze fell on the lean person. Even with the cap, Ruby knew exactly who it was. She was about to admonish her for coming too early when she noticed the bruise on her face.

  
"Chris... What happened?"

  
She tried to reach for her face but Christina swatted her hands away.

  
"It's nothing. But I think we'll have to move forward with the plan earlier than I planned."

  
Christina spared a glance to Leti and Ji-ah who were still somewhat in shock. Then she looked back to Ruby, and Ruby saw the fear in her blue eyes. It made her heart clench painfully in her chest as if she'd been the one hurt.

  
"Did your father do that to you?" she asked.

  
Christina did not answer, but she didn't have to. Ruby nodded and looked at the two younger women.

  
"We have a spare bed, you can stay with us."

  
"Are you insane!" Leti shouted. "As soon as they notice she's gone, they'll be out looking for her. Do you know what will happen to us when they catch us for kidnapping?"

  
Ruby looked at Ji-ah but the other girl shook her head.

  
"I'm sorry, I want to help but Letitia's right. We can't keep her in our room for the next three days."

  
Ruby pursed her lips.

  
"Fine. I'll find her a place to hide."

  
Ruby stood up and looked down at Christina.

  
"Come on, I have an idea."

  
They left the dining room side by side. Ruby struggled to remember the exact door she was looking for and had to stop by the maps a few times to find her way again.

  
"Do you know where we're going?" Christina asked.

  
"I know, just trust me, alright?"

  
Christina nodded and followed silently. Eventually, they found a door marked 'personnel only'. Ruby checked both sides of the corridor before she opened the door. They found a set of stairs and walked down, shutting the door silently behind them. After walking down, they arrived in a large room filled with hundreds of trunks, crates, and even cars. Light shone down from naked light bulbs. Heavy nets had been thrown above piles of crates to keep them steady.

  
"We found the door on accident while we were looking around," Ruby explained. "I think you can hide in here."

  
Christina wandered from car to car until she found her father's. She opened the door and sat in the back. But this time, it wasn't her father who climbed in after her. It was Ruby, who took the seat opposite hers. Their eyes met. Christina took the cap off, letting her long hair tumble on her shoulders. Ruby smiled fondly.

  
"You should wear your hair down more often."

  
"It's not very lady-like," Christina said. "But then again neither is wearing pants."

  
Christina leaned back and as she tried to rest her arm on the backrest, she winced. Ruby leaned forward on instinct to make sure she was alright. Christina quickly said:

  
"It's alright, just a bruise."

  
Tentatively, Ruby reached for Christina's bruised arm. Even through the jacket and shirt, Christina could feel the heat of her fingers. They traced delicately over the bruise, but Christina didn't wince, too focused on the closeness between them. Ruby's hand moved up to her shoulder, then gently reached for her chin again. This time, Christina let her. She turned her face to the side to see the bruise and the split lip.

  
"Does this happen often?"

  
"It happened more often when I was a child," Christina whispered. "But I learned quickly how to avoid it."

  
Ruby passed her thumb over the raw part of her lip and before she could move away, Christina kissed the pad of her thumb. A warm shiver took over Ruby's body.

  
"Some ice could help with the swelling," Ruby said thoughtfully.

  
She leaned away from the other woman, but Christina followed her movement. Their knees bumped into each other. Christina's eyes were looking into hers intensely as if she were trying to purposefully drown in them.

  
"Tell me to stop..." Christina said as she leaned closer still.

  
Ruby didn't. Instead, she decided to take the jump. Because for some strange reason, she had no bad feelings about this. Just a fluttering heart and the desperate need to taste those lips. She grabbed the back of Christina's neck and crashed their lips together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This whole scene between Samuel and Christina was planned from the very first summary I made for this story and I dreaded the day I would have to write it...  
> In more joyous news now: the car scene is coming next chapter! And while I still don't write smut, this scene is the closest I've ever been to it, I think. So I'll see you tomorrow for that!


	5. Fiery Night, Icy Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The car scene

Christina's jacket hit the floor of the silver car loudly. Neither broke apart at the sound. Every kiss stung the cut on Christina's lips, but she pressed her lips harder against Ruby's. Ruby was laying on the seat, Christina flushed above her. Ruby's hands combed through long blonde hair before they passed over her shoulders. She brushed against the bruise on Christina's arm accidentally and Christina winced away from the kiss.

  
Ruby opened her mouth to apologize, but Christina shushed her with another bruising kiss. She was pulling Ruby's blouse free from her skirt so she could get her hands under the garment. Christina's hands were cold, they sent shivers all over Ruby as they greedily felt for more warm skin. Ruby moaned, pulling away from the kiss. Their eyes met, and she noticed the hesitation in Christina's blue eyes.

  
"Do you want me to..."

  
Ruby pulled her into another kiss, then whispered against her lips:

  
"Don't you dare fucking stop."

  
She reached for the buttons of Christina's shirt and unbuttoned it as quickly as she could. Christina attacked her jaw then, leaving open kisses following her jawline and all the way to her ear. Teeth scraped against the shell of her ear, and Ruby's hands faltered on the last few buttons. While it was her first time with a woman, she was starting to believe that Christina had some experience.

  
She finally managed to push Christina's shirt off, exposing a pale chest and small breasts. A thin gold chain with a small locket rested against the top of her sternum. Goosebumps erupted all over Christina's naked arms. Ruby looked at the deep purple mark on her arm. Christina paused in trying to get Ruby out of her blouse, more uncertainty filling her mind. Ruby reached for her scraped hands, taking them in hers. She kissed above one of the fresh wounds, gently. When she looked back into Christina's eyes, the flicker of fear had been extinguished, replace with softness. It surprised Ruby. Almost as soon as it had appeared, though, it disappeared, and Christina cradled her cheeks in her hands and pulled her into a strong kiss.

  
They broke apart when Christina pulled Ruby's blouse over her head, revealing a thin lace bodice beneath. Christina licked her lips. Ruby sat up, keeping Christina on her lap with a hand on the back of her thigh. She reached behind for the hooks of her bodice, and soon enough her hand was replaced by two others, long slender fingers nimbly unhooking the brassiere. Ruby took the opportunity to pepper Christina's chest with kisses. Christina rocked once, hard, against her, before pealing the bodice off of her. She threw it on the floor with the rest of their clothes. She leaned back and admired Ruby's breasts for a moment, as the cold air got to her too.

  
Christina leaned in for another kiss. Her hands fell on Ruby's waist. They weren't cold anymore, now they left a trail of fire everywhere they touched. Christina bit her lower lip lightly, then broke the kiss and moved down. Her fingers wrapped around the band of Ruby's skirt and began pulling it down. Her lips kissed their path down to Ruby's chest.

  
"Chris..." she breathed out, already struggling to think.

  
Christina continued to worship her body, kissing every inch of her breast before taking her nipple between her lips, teeth scraping against the bud. A jolt of electricity ran through Ruby's whole body, straight to her core, and she moaned loudly. One hand threaded through the blonde's hair, while the other began reaching for her belt. When Christina finally released her breast from her lips, out of breath, a series of shivers overtook Ruby's body. Christina draped herself over Ruby again, to keep her warm as she pulled her skirt off, leaving her in nothing but her underwear.

  
The windows of the car had already begun fogging out. Soon, the light from outside was struggling to make its way into the cabin. Christina could more easily believe that it was just them, in the middle of nowhere, and she kissed Ruby again. Ruby's hands were working on her belt, undoing the claps and pushing the pants off of her narrow hips. However, she forgot her task for a second when Christina took her other nipple between her teeth. Slender fingers wrapped around the elastic band of her underwear and Ruby knew she would be a goner soon.

* * *

It was hard to lay together on the seat but Christina didn't want to move away, didn't want to lose any skin contact. The air in the car was warm, though it was doubtless it wouldn't remain for long. Ruby was running her fingers over Christina's naked back. Christina's head rested against her collarbone, feeling the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and the flutter of her heart beneath her hand. Neither dared to speak and break the peaceful silence between them.

  
Christina shifted slightly as her pendant dug painfully against her rib cage. She took it in her hand, played with the circular pendant lightly. When she looked at Ruby, she found her dark eyes on her, observing her with interest.

  
"Can I see it?" she asked, thinking Christina would refuse.

  
Instead, the blonde handed her the locket. Ruby pushed herself on her elbow and felt the pendant in her hands. It was warm, with a bird engraved on it. When she opened it, she found two small pictures inside. One was of a woman who looked quite similar to Christina, but with softer features. The other was that of a young man who looked quite like Christina as well. Same jawline, same eyes, same smirk. Ruby remembered Christina had mentioned her family the night before.

  
"Your mother and brother?" she surmised as she closed the locket and handed it back to Christina.

  
Christina closed her hand around the locket, holding it firmly for a moment before letting it fall back between them.

  
"I just can't part with it."

  
Ruby imagined that if she had a locket to place her parents within, neither could she.

  
"What happened to them?"

  
"My mother died when I was younger. TB. William died in an earthquake. Six years ago in a few days. After that, my father dragged me to London and the rest..."

  
Ruby smiled sympathetically.

  
"What about you?" Christina asked. "What happened to your parents?"

  
Ruby sighed.

  
"Dad was shot in the back. Wrong place wrong time. My mother... I'm still not sure. She'd been sick for a while."

  
"I'm sorry."

  
"It's alright. I still have Leti, and my older brother, Marvin. He lives in Springfield, I might just go and visit him when we arrive."

  
Ruby pursed her lips. She didn't want to ask the question, but she wanted to know the answer too much to stop herself:

  
"Do you know where you're going to go when we arrive?"

  
Christina gave a slight shrug. Her fingers had begun tracing a light pattern on Ruby's chest.

  
"I'm not sure yet. Why?"

  
"I was thinking about going back to Chicago for a while. Check on some old friends."

  
"My mother was from Chicago," Christina said. "She wanted to be buried there. I haven't visited her for a long time."

  
The thought of the dusty vault, flowerless, made Christina's heart jolt painfully.

  
"I'll go with you then," Christina said.

  
"Sure, why not," Ruby said nonchalantly.

  
Christina smirked.

  
"You can pretend all you want, but I know you want me to come with you. You wouldn't have asked otherwise."

  
Ruby rolled her eyes.

  
"I just don't want to be wandering the country alone. It could be dangerous."

  
"Of course," Christina as she placed a kiss on the hallow of Ruby's neck. "It has nothing to do with the fact that I just made you come three times, right?"

  
Christina pushed herself up to get her lips over Ruby's jugular. She could feel the blood pulsing beneath her lips as she sucked on the soft skin there. Ruby's breath hitched.

  
"Of course not," she managed to whisper.

  
"In that case, I guess I won't come to Chicago," Christina said as she moved away from Ruby, slowly, purposefully. "I guess I'll go to Vermont."

  
Ruby chuckled.

  
"Why would you go to Vermont?" she asked as Christina began sliding off of her lap.

  
"Well, let's see. It's peaceful, it's quiet. I can get a little cabin all to myself, maybe a few sheep and a dog. I'll be the new village witch."

  
The idea made Ruby laughed. Amusement was bubbling in Christina's blue eyes as she reached for her shirt on the ground.

  
"It's sad that I'll be so alone up there. I heard Vermont can be very cold."

  
Ruby shook her head and sat up. She took Christina's shirt out of her hand and let it fall back to the floor.

  
"Maybe I can come to visit once or twice."

  
"Oh no, it's alright. I don't see why you would need to come to me, or for what reasons," Christina said with a cheeky grin.

  
Ruby grabbed her by the nape of her neck and pulled her into another bruising kiss. Christina's heart jumped in her chest, and she gently pushed Ruby back on the seat.

* * *

When the air in the car became too cold to stand, they got dressed. Christina helped Ruby with the hooks of her bodice, placing a dutiful kiss on the nape of her neck once she was done. Ruby thought nothing of it and pulled Christina into one last kiss as they left the car. It was easy to pretend that the car had changed nothing between them, but much harder to believe it. Christina's eyes weren't as hungry as they used to be, there was a softness in them now every time they looked at Ruby. It made Ruby's heart flutter just a bit faster in her chest. She wasn't certain what it meant for them, where they were going, and for how long. She selfishly wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted. But first, they would need to get her out of the ship.

  
"I should check on Leti," Ruby said. "Make sure she's not angry with me."

  
Christina nodded. Before she could answer, however, they heard the door open, and someone walking down the stairs. They looked at each other worriedly, and Ruby reached for Christina and pulled her behind the car. She motioned for her to stay silent.

  
The footsteps echoed around the empty room. They remained crouched under the car and slowly made their way around it. They saw back shoes and the bottom of white pants. A crew member, probably making a round through the Orlop decks. The two women shared a glance as they both realized that Christina couldn't stay hidden down here. They reached the edge of the car. The man was walking on the other side of the ship. Christina glanced at Ruby, took her hand in hers, and ran out of cover.

  
"Hey!"

  
They rushed up the stairs and shut the door behind them. Back in the hallway of the lower deck, they ran through the empty corridors. Christina wondered what time it was and how long they'd spent in the cargo hold. It couldn't be morning yet, could it? They rounded the corner and kept on running, just in case the man was behind them. The corridors were empty. Most everyone must have gone to sleep already.

  
They reached the stairs and Christina climbed up two steps at a time, one hand on the railing and the other still holding onto Ruby. They reached the middle deck and ended up in a long passage, which traversed the entire boat.

  
"Which way?" Christina asked with breathless excitement.

  
"Left," Ruby decided.

  
Together they walked rapidly through the hallway. They waited for the crew member to catch up to their trail, but he never came. They must have lost him, Ruby thought as she glanced nervously behind them. They reached the stairs at the front of the ship and sauntered up, level after level, until they pushed the last door open, reaching the bridge, near the bow of the ship. Christina was laughing with mirth, the sound carrying in the open air and making Ruby's heart flutter. She pretended it was because they'd run, and not because the blonde's laughter rang like a crystal bell in the icy wind.

  
Ruby shivered. The air was colder than the night before, the sea just as dark. Music softly filtered from the grand dining room and up to their ears. Christina noticed Ruby's discomfort and pulled off her jacket.

  
"Here."

  
Christina's jacket was warm but heavy, so heavy, Ruby wouldn't be surprised to know there was the content of an entire diamond mine in it. The deck was empty of passersby. It seemed everyone had already gone to bed. After a glance just to make sure, Ruby grabbed Christina by her shirt and pulled her into a quick kiss. Christina smiled into the kiss. Instead of letting Ruby go, however, she held onto her waist and began to sway to the distant music. Ruby chuckled and swayed with her.

  
"Maybe we could go downstairs and dance for a bit?" Christina suggested.

  
Ruby was tempted, but before she could answer, a bell rang above them. They moved apart swiftly.

  
"Hard astarboard!" the shout came from the piloting center above.

  
Confused, Christina and Ruby walked closer to the bow. In the piloting center, a small group of men was running back and forth between the many levers and out of the cabin to check the ocean ahead of them. Christina tried to follow their gaze until she could barely make out the shape of a block of ice in front of the ship's path. She pointed it to Ruby who moved closer to the ship's side.

  
"Shouldn't they be turning?" Ruby asked worriedly.

  
"It's a big ship," Christina replied. "It's gonna take a minute for it to turn."

  
They stood as close as they dared as the iceberg became more and more discernible. Still, the ship was heading right for it.

  
"Why aren't they turning?" Ruby said.

  
Christina wasn't certain she had the answer. Finally, the ship seemed to be diverting away from the iceberg. Christina let out a sigh of relief. However, when the lights of the ship finally illuminated the iceberg, she knew they wouldn't fully avoid it.

  
"Watch out."

  
She pulled Ruby by the sleeve of her jacket, away from the iceberg. They passed by it, and the ship trembled. Christina got a hold of a nearby bench to keep herself and Ruby upright. The ship trembled and shook as it slowly scraped past. Chunks of ice exploded off of the iceberg and fell on the deck heavily. The ship plowed on. Christina could feel Ruby clinging to her shirt. She held her tighter. When the shaking finally stopped and the iceberg was out of sight, Ruby left her embrace and ran past blocks of ice to look overboard. Christina joined her quickly, one hand on her cap to keep it from falling off her head. The iceberg was leaving their line of sights, but Ruby could swear there was the black mark of paint left on its side. She looked down at the dark, cold sea, then back at Christina.

  
"Do you think...?"

  
Christina shook her head.

  
"This ship is unsinkable."

  
Remembering what she'd heard from the gossiping gentlemen at the dinner table, she added:

  
"They'll close the bulkheads and activate the pumps to bring out the water if the hull is pierced. It'll be fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops did I forget to mention that chapter 5 was also the iceberg scene? Must have slipt my mind...  
> That car scene was definitely the closest thing I've ever written to smut. The more I write for this ship the closer I get to it. Maybe by the time I post story number 69, I'll have written a full smut scene. For now, baby steps...  
> Funnily enough, the car scene in Titanic was one of the only two movie scenes my mom censored for me when I was a kid (the other one was Voldemort's resurrection in HP4 cause she thought it was too graphic) so I'm basically holding up a family tradition.  
> Anyway, as you might expect, things are going to take a dire turn starting next chapter, so I'll see you then!


	6. The Unsinkable Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christina and Ruby are separated just as the first evacuation orders are given

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Trigger Warning for physical abuse, same reasons as for chapter 4, although it's quite tammer

More and more people had stepped outside to look at the ice left behind by the iceberg. Christina and Ruby had settled on a bench, huddled together against the cold. The ship had stopped, but Christina was certain it was only a matter of time before they started the engines again. Officers were running back and forth on the deck, coming and going from one side of the ship to the other. Every time one passed them by, Christina lowered her cap just a bit more over her eyes. Eventually, Ruby said:

  
"Come on, let's find you another spot to hide for the night."

  
Hand in hand, they made their way back inside. The air was warmer there, if only by a little. They walked side by side, trying not to look suspicious. However, it was only a matter of time before one of the stewards noticed them walking through the crew corridors.

  
"Hey! You aren't supposed to be there!"

  
They ran. He ran after them. They stepped out of the crew corridors and into the first-class section. They brushed past a couple of old, well-dressed people and toward the grand staircase.

  
"Hey! Stop!"

  
The jacket on Ruby rang with every step they took like a hundred small bells. Christina was clenching her hands as if she would lose buoyancy and drown if she let go. They rushed down the stairs and arrived in the first-class dining room. They came across more stewards in white uniform, already setting the table for the next day. They rushed past them, their heads turning to look at them. Ruby's heart was pounding in her chest.

  
"Stop them!" the man after them called.

  
Soon, there wasn't one but three men after them. Christina took a sharp turn toward the crew staircase. She let go of Ruby's hand to keep the door open, then swung it forcefully, hoping it would hit one of the stewards in the face. It didn't, and they charged down the stairs after the couple. After another sharp turn, Christina noticed a closet door. She opened it swiftly.

  
"In there. I'll loop back around and come back for you."

  
Ruby, out of breath, didn't protest and slipped silently into the closet. She placed her hand over her mouth and held her breath as much as she could.

  
"Over there!" one of the stewards shouted as Christina rounded the corner and sprinted to the end of the corridor. The stewards wouldn't relent, which worried her. She passed the gate at the end of the crew corridor and shut the gate before continuing. She heard the three men fighting with the gate, and climbed up the stairs. As she went, she tried to memorize her path, so she could go back the way she came and find Ruby.

  
She reached the top of the stairs and hit another steward, who'd been carrying a tray with two glasses of brandy. The glasses shattered on the ground, spreading alcohol everywhere on the carpet and the man's white pants. Before Christina could rush past him, however, he grabbed her arm.

  
"Hey! Watch where you're going! You're going to have to pay for that!"

  
Just then the three stewards arrived at the top of the stairs, out of breath.

  
"Don't let her go!" One of them said loudly.

  
The other crew member obeyed, looking at Christina with confusion. Christina tried to pull away, but his grasp was almost as strong as her father's.

  
"That's the girl they've been looking everywhere for. We need to take her back to her father."

* * *

Christina fought the master-at-arms all the way to her father's cabin. He was holding onto her bruised arm, and despite the sting, she pulled and pulled against his grasp, screaming for him to let her go. She woke up more than one passenger. The other officer with them had to apologize on her behalf and find an excuse as to why this poor young woman was asking loudly to be released.

  
The master-at-arms didn't have to knock at the door. Christina's screams were enough to alert them of her capture. Delilah came to open, offering but a vicious glare at the blonde. Christina glared back. When they stepped into the cabin, the fireplace was burning, and Samuel Braithwhite was seating on the couch, reading.

  
"Sir, I believe we found your daughter."

  
Her cap had been taken off, and even with her hair draped over her face, there was no doubt who the pants-clad person was.

  
"Thank you, gentlemen. I'll see to it that she doesn't cause any more problems."

  
Christina was finally released. At the sight of her father, her entire body had grown cold and rigid. She couldn't move her legs anymore, even if all she wanted was to turn around and run before the officers shut the door behind them. But the door was closed with a gentle click, and Christina still hadn't moved.

  
"Delilah, can you please get a bath running for my daughter, she looks a fright."

  
"Yes, sir."

  
Delilah glared at Christina and moved to her bedroom. Christina stood still, staring at her father, waiting. The hollowness was back, it sucked her innards in and made her quiver with apprehension. Still, her father finished his page, very calmly shut his book, and stood up.

  
"I hope you're satisfied," her father said. "This little escape of yours had everyone quite worried."

  
As he spoke, her father stepped closer. Christina glared at him behind her curtain of hair.

  
"You knocked Delilah out, you've been running around the ship God knows where. But most importantly, you've made me look like a goddamn fool."

  
Just as she expected, the slap came. It stung her cheeks, but not as much as it had hurt that morning. Christina had taken many slaps like these. He raised his hand for another slap. The first hit had brushed a few strands of hair aside, and her father finally saw the violence in her eyes. He hesitated but for the fraction of a second, before another slap hit her, this time on the bruise, making her wince.

  
"You won't be seeing the outside of this cabin until we make it to New York, you can trust me on that."

  
Delilah returned.

  
"The bath is ready, sir."

  
Christina wondered what Delilah's revenge would be. Impossibly cold water or scorching hot one? Just then, there was a knock on the cabin door, followed by a steward walking in and past Christina and her father.

  
"I'm sorry, sir, but we've been asked to evacuate the passengers."

  
He went to get the lifejackets in a closet.

  
"Get out," Samuel ordered.

  
Despite his icy tone, the steward went on with his job.

  
"I'm sorry sir, but this is an order from the captain. We need to evacuate all passengers now. I recommend taking a coat as it is very cold outside."

  
Christina saw her father grinding his teeth and swallow his anger. A cold feeling overtook her body. If they were evacuating, it was because the boat was sinking. And Ruby was still waiting in a closet for her.

  
She silently followed her father and Delilah out of the cabin. She wanted to run and get Ruby, but her father's gaze was pinning her in place. They met with a group of first-class passengers waiting at the bottom of the grand staircase. If anyone thought Christina's attire strange, or the red marks on her face worrying, no remark was made.

  
"What joke is this?" her father as he approached Colonel Gracie.

  
"I'm sure it will all be sorted out quickly," the older man said. "Probably a routine exercise."

  
The musicians had found a spot to play a waltz. Christina looked on at the crowd with worry. She expected to see Ruby somewhere, but she soon realized that there were only first-class passengers here. The need to bolt had never been stronger, it made every cell in her body tremble. Still, the wait continued as Christina's patience ran thinner and thinner than it had ever been. Everyone around them was calm if a little exasperated. They wanted to return to their bedroom and go back to sleep, they asked for Scotch and brandy. As though none of them had been informed that the unsinkable was sinking.

  
"Ladies and gentlemen, please proceed to the lifeboats in an orderly fashioned."

  
They did as they were told, climbing up the stairs. Christina hadn't seen any signs of Ruby. Worry seized all of her senses. Her eyes glanced everywhere on the deck all at once. She stopped for a second and her father pushed her forward.

  
"I'm going to ask you to proceed in an orderly fashion," one of the officers ahead of them shouted, to be heard over the whistling of steam coming out of the chimneys.

  
The lifeboat in front of them was suspended over the edge of the ship by ropes and pulleys. People were helped inside, bundled in their fur coats and woolen jackets. When it came to their turn, Delilah stepped in first and begrudgingly turned around to hold out a hand and help Christina inside.

  
"Come on, Christina," her father said with annoyance.

  
"Miss?" one of the sailors held out a hand to help her in as well.

  
"Christina!"

  
Something snapped in her. Something her father had tried to break but until then had only managed to bend. It snapped. She turned around and glared at the man.

  
"Goodbye, father."

  
She ran. He ran after her, catching up to her quickly, holding her by the arm.

  
"Where do you think you're going?" he shouted.

  
"I'd rather drown than spend another second near you!" she spat in his face.

  
Then, she punched him. She'd never touched him before, never managed to lay a scratch on him. She felt his nose snap under her knuckles. The feeling was deeply pleasing and addictive, and if she wasn't so worried about Ruby, she would have done it again. Instead, she used his confusion to escape his grasp and disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Leti was rudely awakened when a steward stepped into their room and turned on the light.

  
"Get up! We're evacuating!"

  
He opened the wardrobe, pulled lifejackets out, and walked to the next cabin. Leti blinked against the harsh light and looked down. Ji-ah looked just as confused as her. She jumped from her bed and reached for a woolen sweater and shoes. A glance toward Ruby's empty bed told her that her older sister hadn't returned yet.

  
"What the hell is going on?" she asked.

  
Ji-ah had no answer. She reached for a lifejacket and handed one to Leti.

  
"We better go if they're evacuating."

  
Leti picked up her bag and followed Ji-ah out of the cabin. She couldn't fight the nagging feeling in her chest. Something was very wrong as if the rotation of the Earth had changed by a small degree, and things were no longer exactly right.

  
"This way."

  
They followed a large crowd of people through the corridors. People had taken their luggage with them, some refusing to let them go even at the behest of the stewards. Rats ran along the corridor, between people's legs. Leti and Ji-ah exchanged a worried look. If the rats were running, things were dire.

  
They reached the stairs but found them stuck by metal gates, as four stewards stood on the other side and tried to calm everyone down.

  
"We will open as soon as the first and second class passengers have been evacuated," one of the stewards kept shouting over the protest of people who shook the gates as if it would be enough to unlock them.

  
"Maybe there's another open staircase," Leti said.

  
She pulled Ji-ah away from the crowd, and they went in search of another access up. Leti's heart was clenched in her chest as if it had turned into a small ball of nerves. She couldn't see Ruby anywhere. Where the hell could her sister be?

  
They brushed past a few people going upstairs and made their way down a level. If Leti remembered right, there was a smaller staircase across the lower deck, which led directly to the bridge.

  
"Come on, down here."

  
As they stepped at the bottom of the stairs, however, their shoe-clad feet touched water. A long shiver ran down Leti's back as she yelped. The water was colder than anything she'd ever felt. It froze every cell in her body in an instant. She looked worriedly at Ji-ah again.

  
"Let's go," Ji-ah said, taking the lead.

  
They crossed the crowded corridors, brushing past people as confused and scared as they were. They found the staircase and climbed up and up until they found another gate blocking the path, and two stewards trying to reason with a small group of people.

  
"If you go to the main staircase everything will be cleared!" the man said.

  
"The main staircase is blocked too!" Leti shouted as she made her way to the front of the crowd. "Let us through, there's water coming in!"

  
"Until the first and second class passengers have been evacuated..."

  
"You're going to let us all drown down here!" she cut him off. "Open the goddamn door!"

  
She shook her gate with all the strength she could muster, but it wouldn't budge.

  
"Ma'am, please calm down."

  
"Let us out!"

  
"Leti!"

  
Her name echoed from the end of the corridor, and Leti sighed as relief overtook every cell in her body. Ruby ran up to the gate, pushing past the confused stewards.

  
"Where have you been!" she couldn't help but shout as anxiety finally left her body.

  
"It's a long story. But we have to go, they're evacuating people."

  
"They better, there's water down here. What the hell happened?"

  
"We hit an iceberg."

  
Any relief Leti had been feeling at the sight of her sister drenched out of her body, leaving only cold terror.

  
"The ship's sinking?" she muttered in disbelief.

  
"Ma'am, please go upstairs..." one of the stewards tried to push Ruby toward the staircase.

  
Ruby grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and said:

  
"You are going to open that gate right now, or I will open it myself."

  
She let him go, and the man shook his head fearfully. Despite his mate's protest, he unlocked the gate. As soon as she was through, Leti pulled her sister into a hug.

  
"Come on, let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Apparently some of you forgot about the iceberg, maybe I could have foreshadowed it better but, you know, no one really saw it coming (because it was a moonless night and the crew hadn't been given binoculars)  
> This morning I realized there are only two chapters left! How time flies! Also I will be posting a baby fic later today (It's not about babies I just call it baby fic cause it's only 1500 words, which is short for me) It's called "Let Those Seconds Be Hours", I mostly wrote it to help me back into writing after the two very stressful days I had this week, and I thought I would just post it this evening, just to shake things up a bit.  
> Anyway, I hope you have a nice Sunday and I'll see you tomorrow for the penultimate chapter!


	7. Journey's End in Lovers Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby leads Leti and Ji-ah to the bridge

When they reached the bridge, half of the lifeboats had already been lowered. The crew was fighting off an ever-increasing crowd of passengers, shouting:

  
"Women and children first!"

  
As the cold Atlantic air passed over Leti, she shivered.

  
"Here."

  
Ruby took Christina's jacket off of her and wrapped it around Leti's shoulders. Leti didn't complain and she bundled closer in the jacket. Ji-ah walked a few feet toward the bow of the ship and said:

  
"There's one pretty empty over there."

  
Ruby nodded and guided her sister after their cabin mate. As they approached the lifeboat, they saw the bow of the ship leaning toward the dark ocean. Leti's eyes grew wide at the sight.

  
"Jesus Christ..."

  
They reached a lifeboat where one of the officers and a man in a dark brown fur bathrobe was helping people into the boat. They stepped in line, waiting their turn. Above them, a distress rocket was sent into the air with a whizzing sound. It exploded high into the open, moonless sky. The red light flashed over the horizon for a second. Ruby could see the other lifeboats in the distance. She wondered whether Christina was on one of them. An itch in her heart sent adrenaline in her entire body. What if she wasn't? She couldn't quite imagine Christina abandoning her in a closet and saving herself like that. What if she was stuck somewhere? What if, God forbid, her father had gotten his hands on her again?

  
"Your turn..."

  
Ji-ah stepped into the boat and sat down silently. Then, it was Leti's turn.

  
"Ma'am you can't take your bag."

  
"Just..."

  
Leti riffled through the bag swiftly and pulled her mother's wedding ring out, placing it at her finger so as not to lose it, and reluctantly left her bag on the deck. A warm feeling filled Ruby's whole being. A bad feeling.

  
"Your turn, ma'am," the officer said as Leti sat down.

  
Ruby swallowed thickly. She looked at Leti who was staring at her with worry.

  
"Have you seen a blonde woman step into one of the lifeboats?" she asked, instead of going in. "Long blonde hair, blue eyes? Maybe she was wearing a cap. In pants? Tall, slender?"

  
Both the officer and the man helping shook their heads. However, a woman from the lifeboat perked up.

  
"I saw her running down the stairs," she said. "She punched a man who was trying to get her into a lifeboat and ran back into the ship."

  
Ruby's cold breath hitched in her throat. Leti shook her head.

  
"Ruby! We have to go and save ourselves. Forget about Christina, alright?"

  
Still, Ruby took a step back. She looked at the shadow of the lifeboats in the distance, and the water lapping at the front of the ship, where she and Christina had been standing not too long ago.

  
"Miss?"

  
Ruby's heart skipped a beat in her chest.

  
"I have to find her. I'll take another boat, okay?"

  
"No, Ruby!"

  
Leti meant to stand up but it made the whole boat rock and Ji-ah held her back. Ruby looked at Ji-ah and said:

  
"Take care of her, okay?"

  
Ji-ah nodded, and Ruby walked away. Behind her, Leti was shouting her name, screaming for her to come back to the boat. The officer ordered the man into the boat before it was too late, and the lifeboat was lowered.

* * *

Ruby rushed back into the boat and toward the grand staircase. Then, she noticed the elevator. A steward was keeping a watchful eye to make sure no one was using them. Ruby rushed up to him.

  
"I need to go down."

  
"Ma'am, please, the elevators are out of order. Please head to the bridge to be evacuated."

  
Ruby shook her head and brushed past the steward and into the elevator.

  
"I don't need you for this."

  
She shut the gate on him and lowered the elevator to its lowest floor. She watched as she passed from floor to floor, the light flashing briefly over her. Suddenly, the elevator reached the lower floor, and water rushed inside faster than Ruby could step away. It was colder than water should ever be, and it filled the elevator until Ruby felt her legs lift from the ground. She kicked and struggled to keep her head out of the water. She was pinned against the wall as more and more water flooded the interior. When the elevator finally stopped, and Ruby felt she could move again, she pushed the gate open and swam out.

  
The entire hallway was flooded with icy water. Ruby reached for the pipes above her and used them to pull herself forward. Light bulbs sparked on the ceiling, making Ruby flinch.

  
"Christina!" she called out, even though it seemed like a waste of time. Christina wouldn't be down here. She swam to the nearest staircase. Her teeth were already chattering. If this was the water inside the boat, she didn't want to imagine what the water outside of it would be like.

  
"Christina!" she called again, just in case.

  
She made it to the staircase, and already the water was overtaking the stairs. She pulled herself out with difficulty, dragged down by the added weight of her drenched clothes. Water had already begun to flood the middle deck. Ruby pushed herself up and looked around. All the hallways were the same, filled with a few inches of water, abandoned luggage, and people searching with confusion for the exit.

  
"Christina!" she called again.

  
Despair filled her heart. Maybe this was a mistake. She shouldn't have come back. Christina mustn't have been looking for her, so why had she gone back for her? She cared about her, but did she care more about her than her own life?

  
"Christina!"

  
She began walking at a brisked pace to the right. She called loudly every few minutes:

  
"Christina!"

  
She shivered as her drenched clothes stuck to her skin, warmth slowly leaving her body.

  
"Christina!"

  
What madness had brought her to run from the lifeboat? She was dead, she knew. There wouldn't be any lifeboats left when she finally renounced the crazy idea of finding the other woman and walked back to the top of the boat. If she could even make it back out. Already, water was filling the deck, up to her ankle. She tried walking toward the drier parts of the boat. She wasn't dreaming, it was dipping forward.

  
"Christina!"

  
She turned to the left and came across a father and two children, seemingly lost in the middle of the corridors.

  
"Sir! Sir, have you seen a blonde woman?" she asked, teeth chattering.

  
"Do you know where the exit is?" the man replied.

  
She tried to remember, but couldn't quite visualize the path to the staircase anymore.

  
"That way, I think."

  
The man reached for his children and pulled them toward the exit. When Ruby didn't follow but continued on her path instead, he turned around and said:

  
"Aren't you going?"

  
"I need to find someone first."

  
"Good luck."

  
Ruby watched the father lead his children away, and she continued on her way.

  
"Christina!"

* * *

"Ruby!"

  
Christina had stayed for as long as she could on the lower deck, but once she'd been waist-deep in the water, she knew there was no chance the other woman would have still been down there. The closet had been empty, and from there Christina had made her way through each corridor of the boat, or so it seemed, looking for Ruby. She'd found herself stuck behind a gate soon enough, and had gone the other way. Now on the middle deck, she could feel the water rising higher and higher, up to her shin.

  
"Ruby!"

  
Every shout came with more desperation. They should have never separated, she thought. They should have hidden in the closet together. But what if they'd both been caught? Christina couldn't even imagine what her father would have done to Ruby if he'd known about her.

  
"Ruby!"

  
She must have gone on a lifeboat, Christina thought. That's it. She must have gone on a lifeboat with her sister, and already be off the boat. She was wasting her time.

  
"Ruby!"

  
She needed to know for sure. The corridors were empty now, with only floating suitcases in her way. She walked toward a closed door and heard the hinges groaning under the pressure of all the water it was holding back. She needed to get out of here now before it was too late.

  
"Christina!"

  
She stopped and listened. Had she dreamed her name being shouted through the corridors.

  
"Ruby?" she called out.

  
"Christina!"

  
Ruby appeared around the corner, struggling through the knee-high cold water. As soon as she saw her, she rushed up to her.

  
"Ruby!"

  
They met in a fierce embrace. Ruby was hot to the touch like Christina didn't remember her ever being. They broke apart and Christina pulled Ruby in a desperate kiss she never thought she would ever get to taste.

  
"I got caught and they took me back to my father..." Christina said hurriedly between kisses.

  
"It's alright," Ruby assured.

  
"How did you find me?"

  
"Someone told me they saw you running down. I didn't know why..."

  
"I was looking for you!"

  
Behind them, the door groaned louder still.

  
"We have to go!"

  
They struggled through the water as quickly as they could, up to the nearest staircase. Ruby pulled herself out of the water, Christina hot on her tail. Then, they heard water rushing in. Ruby pulled Christina to the top of the stairs as the blonde struggled to stand up. A high wave of water charged down the hallway and lapped up the stairs. The two women sprinted up. Seawater was rising quicker and quicker still.

  
As soon as Christina was out of the staircase Ruby shut the door behind them. They were back in the dining room, and all the plates had slipped off the table. Water began to fill the floor from a few different accesses.

  
"Come on!" Ruby shouted.

  
They were both out of breath and struggling to bring cold air into their lungs, but they pushed past the need and hurried up another staircase. They emerged onto the bridge with pounding hearts.

  
"God..."

  
The entire front bow of the ship was underwater. The ground was now at a steep incline, growing steeper by the second. Near them, a chunk of the crew was trying to bring another lifeboat down from the roof of the officer's quarters.

  
"Now!"

  
The boat was pushed, but instead of rolling down and flipping over, the oars snapped under its weight, and the boat fell bottom up on the polished floor of the deck.

  
"This one," Christina decided as she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her to the upside-down collapsible boat. Already, it was being swarmed with people. Christina didn't care, as she elbowed a man in the face to get them to the boat. They were trying to flip it over. The water was lapping at it.

  
"Hold onto it, whatever happens," Christina shouted to Ruby.

  
Ruby nodded and got a hold of the hull. More and more water splashed over the bridge at an increasingly high rate. Before anyone could flip it over, the lifeboat was already floating. People continued to struggle as they tried to hold onto it. Soon nothing was keeping the boat on the deck, and it began drifting away. Ruby struggled to keep her grasp on the slick wood of the hull, as her fingers were too cold to properly grasp anything. Christina wrapped an arm around her, trying to keep her close.

  
There was a snap above them, and another, and another. Like someone hitting the same xylophone note at a strange, hurried pace.

  
"Watch out!"

  
Christina let go of the boat and pulled Ruby as close to her as she could. There was a massive splash, water breaking apart as the first funnel hit the water. It crushed many swimmers beneath it. Both Ruby and Christina were pulled under the waves. Ruby kicked and kicked the water until she emerged out.

  
"Chris..."

  
Christina came up beside her, taking a deep breath. They looked around. The collapsible boat had been pushed away from the ship.

  
"We need to swim to it!"

  
Together they dashed through the calm but cold ocean as fast as they could muster. A few people had been brought to stand atop the upside-down lifeboat. When they reached it, an officer helped Ruby up, and Christina after her. Ruby recognized him as the one who had helped Leti into her lifeboat.

  
"Stand here," he instructed them as he brought more people up the lifeboat carefully.

  
Ruby and Christina did as they were told, and stood huddled together in the middle of the hull. More and more men stepped on, including a few Christina recognized and who, despite her bluish face and bruises, recognized her. Nothing was said, as everyone began to cluster together, like penguins on an iceberg. With every man climbing Ruby feared it would be one too many and the boat would capsize. Finally, the officer shouted:

  
"No more! We can't take any more or we'll sink!"

  
A few men had to be pushed away from the boat, while others gave up on their own.

  
There was a scream. The scream of metal and wood, snapping. Everyone stopped and turned to look at the Titanic. Its stern rose high above the water, seemingly no longer bound by the laws of nature. The ship was breaking in half, snapping like a twig. The bow sank and disappeared under the water almost quietly, unceremoniously, without a final goodbye. The stern, once again bound by gravity, fell back into the water.

  
"We have to go now or we'll be swept!" the officer shouted.

  
The men nearest to the edge, with nothing but their arms, padded through the icy water, farther and farther away from the wreck. In the middle of the boat, Ruby and Christina could only watch as the stern rose once again. It groaned and lifted until it stood at a perfect ninety-degree. They held their breaths and waited. For a second it seemed time had frozen. The stern remained upright, a metal iceberg in a sea of ice. And then, it sank. Water bubbled angrily around it, as the sea finally swallowed the remains of the Titanic. When the last of the hull disappeared, and the water was once again calm, thousands of screams for help rose into the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know a lot of you were anxious to know what would happen and while the story's not over yet, they all made it off the boat in time!  
> From the very beginning, I knew I wanted them to escape on collapsible boat B (in the movie we lose track of it after the first funnel falls) but here was my biggest problem: All the main characters are women. Literally, any lifeboat would have taken them in at the drop of a hat because of the "women and children first" guideline they decided to follow. So how do you keep two women on the Titanic until lifeboat B is pushed down and they can climb on it? And now you know why I had to separate them.  
> Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the last chapter and epilogue!


	8. 244 Minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As their lifeboat continues to sink, they wait for salvation...

The moonless night was filled with shouts and screams for help. Where the Titanic had once stood now struggled hundreds of passengers. Every scream broke Ruby's soul. Some tried to swim to safety to the collapsible boat, but the officer denied them access. The boat continued to drift away from the survivors. Christina was holding onto Ruby, shaking in her arms.

  
"What happened to my jacket?" she asked as well as she could with a frozen jaw.

  
"I gave it to Leti."

  
Christina nodded. She wasn't so worried about the content of the jacket, and more about the added warmth it could have given them. She already couldn't feel her feet anymore and considered it a miracle that she was still standing. Around them, the men were muttering to themselves about their loved ones, the ones they knew were safe in a lifeboat, and the ones they hoped were not in the maelstrom of debris and lifejackets floating above the wreck.

  
The screams were all the same, they melted into a single, heartbreaking sound of human agony. Christina tried to tune them out but even she couldn't. In the distance, she couldn't even make out the people anymore, just vague shapes and voices, so many voices, haunting and terrified, begging for help, begging not to let them die here. A few more minutes and it could have been us, she thought.

  
Time passed. The voices died down, one by one, like candles being smothered. The echoes of despair turned to faraway cries, turned to nothing but the sound of the water lapping at the collapsible boat, and the shattering teeth of fifty people. But the water was still hungry. It licked and licked at the boat, demanding more. The air trapped under the boat was running out, slowly. Ruby noticed it first when she realized the men at the edge had the sole of their shoes underwater. We're still sinking, she thoughts.

  
At the bow of the boat, the officer was looking around for any signs of another lifeboat that could help them. However, he had no flashlight. He whistled a few times, but when no answer came, he stopped.

  
"There's a boat on its way," he said as if it would bring any hope to the passengers now under his watch. "We just have to hold until it does."

  
Ruby trembled so strongly now that she feared she would collapse. Christina was in her arms, her breathing the only thing warming them both. Her lips were blue, a sick, unnatural shade of blue. Frost had already begun to cover her once wet hair.

  
"I'm so tired..." Christina whispered.

  
"We're fine," Ruby whispered back, words stuttering past her frozen lips. "We just have to hold a little longer... And we'll be in the new boat..."

  
"Let's hope this one doesn't sink..."

  
Ruby found the strength to roll her eyes. She brought Christina even closer if that was even possible. She thought about Leti, seating in a boat somewhere over the dark ocean. Did she believe Ruby was dead already or had she still hope that her older sister had made it out? She couldn't wait to be reunited with her. She would be reunited with her.

* * *

The silence was unsettling. Ruby came to wish for the screams again because at least they meant there was still life. Now, there was only the water, licking higher and higher at the boat. Already their ankles were submerged. There was no sign of a lifeboat on the horizon or even the promised ship. In her arms, Christina seemed to have stopped shivering, as if her body wouldn't even attempt to warm itself up anymore.

  
"Chris?"

  
"I just want to sleep."

  
Ruby shook her gently.

  
"Don't fall asleep, not until we're out of here. Tell me..."

  
She struggled to find anything that she could ask the blonde. Something to keep her awake.

  
"Tell me what you're going to do, once they get us out of here. In details."

  
Christina's warm breath passed over Ruby's neck. It was still impossibly warm, despite their lowered temperature. Or perhaps it was just an illusion. It wasn't warm air, but Christina's life, her soul, huffed out of her body with every breath she took.

  
"I'm going to sleep on the ship."

  
"What else?"

  
"I'm going to sell a necklace. And we're going to go to Chicago."

  
Ruby grew impossibly still against her, but Christina didn't feel it. Instead, she continued to sigh against her neck:

  
"We're going to travel and go to California. See the desert. And the beaches. And the mountains. And then we're going to buy a small cottage somewhere. Just for us. Out of town. We're gonna... have sheep... and rabbits... and a dog... And we'll be the witches of the village..."

  
She managed a chuckle then.

  
"And we're going to grow vegetables... And we'll do whatever we want..."

  
Ruby tried to pass her fingers through Christina's hair as she began to shake again. Her cold fingers met small chunks of ice and stiff blonde hair.

  
"I'd like that very much," Ruby said. "What else are we going to do in that cottage?"

  
"I don't know... You can sing all day if you want..."

  
"Maybe we could dance," Ruby suggested. "I want to dance with you."

  
"I want to dance... with you too... I want to do... something silly to pass the time... Like play cards and chess... and knit..."

  
Ruby could hardly imagine Christina knitting, and the image made her smile. She thought she was smiling, but maybe her chapped lips and frozen muscle couldn't quite move as they should.

  
The water reached to their shin. The officer suggested the men at the edge of the boat go in the water to keep it afloat a bit longer. Some dared to slowly slip into the freezing water. Others were more hesitant. The officer kept them talking, but they struggled too much as their teeth began to chatter again. In the distance, they saw the light of a lifeboat, searching through the sea of dead, frozen bodies. The officer whistled and shouted:

  
"We have an upside-down boat here!"

  
After a few more whistles and shouts, the lifeboat replied:

  
"How many?"

  
"Forty-seven!" the officer replied.

  
"We don't have space. Hold on, we'll be back with more boats!"

  
"Hurry!"

  
Ruby looked at Christina in her arms. She feared they were so close the ice might have fused them together.

  
"You hear that? The lifeboats are coming..."

  
"It's good..."

  
"It is..."

  
Still, as the lifeboat turned around to get more help, the collapsible boat continued to sink deeper and deeper. Now the water was up to their knees and they could barely stand upright. Morning brought its lot of waves, lapping at their thighs.

  
"We're going to have to go in the water," the officer said. "Stay close and whatever you do, keep swimming."

  
Reluctantly, one after the other, the men slipped back into the ravenous ocean. When it came to their turn, Ruby feared they wouldn't be able to separate. But Christina moved back into the water with a yelp, and Ruby followed. Neither of them was wearing a lifevest. Christina had refused it when they'd given it to her, and Ruby hadn't even been offered one. Ruby fought to stay afloat, but her legs were screaming with pain for every kick she managed. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep her head out of the water for long, and neither would Christina.

  
"Here..."

  
She swam past the pain and to the nearest debris she could get her hands on, a folded lounging chair someone had thrown overboard. She brought it to Christina, and the blonde held onto it as best as she could. Ruby took her cold hand in hers.

  
"They better hurry with their goddamn lifeboat..." the blonde mumbled.

  
"Are you going to file a complaint?"

  
"To the White Star Line? I'm beyond that... I want their heads on a silver platter..."

  
"Something tells me a few of them... are going to be hard to get..."

  
Unless the bastards had saved themselves in the first lifeboat available, she thought.

  
Their chair drifted with the waves, but Ruby tried to keep them close to the officer, as he had a whistle. Near them, someone had frozen over, kept afloat by his lifejacket. He looked like a statue, his eyes shut, his hands in a tense, hard to keep position that only a dead person could have. Ruby tried not to look at him too much, and focus on herself and Christina instead. She thought she saw Christina's eyes closing, and she shook the blonde, trying to keep her awake.

  
"Don't die on me, please... Hold on just a few more minutes... Just don't die... I care about you," she admitted in a whisper.

  
"I care about you too..."

  
The answer came weakly, but it was enough to warm Ruby against the frozen water around them. She clenched Christina's hand in hers as tightly as her muscled allowed, feeling she held both of their lives in the palm of her hand.

  
"Is anybody out there?" the shout came, and not a second too late.

  
The officer reached for his whistle with trembling fingers and blew as loud as he could. The lifeboat appeared out of the darkness, and another followed right behind.

  
"Come on, let's get everyone in!"

  
Before she knew it, Christina was picked out of the water, sat in a corner of the boat, and wrapped in a blanket. Ruby climbed after her, and they huddled side by side at the bottom of the lifeboat, wrapped in warm blankets that somewhat felt useless and yet were greatly appreciated.

  
"We're gonna make it..." Ruby said, but just to be sure, she muttered a prayer under her breath.

  
Beside her, Christina was silent, and Ruby feared for a second she'd fallen asleep. But she hadn't. Her jaw was simply frozen shut, and the harder she bundled under the blanket, the more she could feel her muscles melting back to life.

  
With dawn came the Carpathia. It wasn't as massive or as new as the Titanic, but Christina had never been happier to see a ship in her life. It had anchored some ways away from the sea of debris, and one after the others, the lifeboats were being rowed to it. The sky turned red, the stars disappeared. The ice on Christina and Ruby's hair melted under the blankets. Finally, their lifeboat was being directed to the Carpathia. The sun appeared over the horizon.

* * *

Leti was running from steward to stewardess in a frenzy. Ji-ah could only keep up with her, every new shake of the head dashing her hopes a little more.

  
"Excuse me, I'm looking for my sister. Ruby Baptiste? Short black hair, taller than me? Her skin's darker than mine. She's probably with this blonde girl?"

  
"I'm sorry, I don't have this name on my list. More lifeboats are still being pulled out of the water. Maybe check again in an hour or two?"

  
But Leti didn't want to check again in an hour or two. She wanted answers now. She wanted to know if her sister was okay, or if she was at the bottom of the ocean. She needed to know. Before Ji-ah could suggest they take a seat and wait, Leti went to check the other side of the boat again. Overboard she could see the clear ocean, and the last lifeboat being rowed toward the ship. There was no other she could see in the distance, only a sea of bodies, easy enough to notice in the sunlight. Leti's heart was stabbed by the pained feeling that maybe her sister was among them.

  
"Leti!"

  
Leti turned around. Ji-ah was pointing to the people being hoisted up onto the ship. First was a cold and tall blonde, who stood by the edge and waited when the officer asked her to move away. And then, Ruby climbed aboard. Leti rushed to the banister separating the third-class survivors and the people still being brought in.

  
"Ruby!"

  
Ruby was quick to notice her and ran up to her. The two sisters hugged, and Leti began to cry on her shoulder.

  
"Don't ever do that again! I thought you were dead!"

  
"I'm sorry..."

  
Christina arrived then, carrying two blankets she'd been given by a stewardess. She draped one around Ruby when the two sisters moved apart.

  
"I'd like to have my jacket back, if you don't mind," Christina asked, her voice still trembling.

  
Leti brushed the tears out of her eyes and glared at the blonde.

  
"Here, it's too heavy anyway."

  
Christina smirked and put on her hundred-thousand-dollar jacket. They found a quiet spot to sit down, and Christina bundled under the blanket. She rested her head against Ruby's shoulder.

  
"Can I sleep now?"

  
"If you promise not to stop breathing."

  
"I'll do my best."

  
Christina bundled under the blanket and nuzzled into Ruby's shoulder until nothing of her could be seen, but a vaguely human form. Still, Ruby could see the blanket rise and fall, following the blonde's breathing, and she kept her attention on it until she was certain Christina wasn't going to die suddenly, after everything they'd been through.

  
"What the hell happened?" Leti asked.

  
"It's a long story," Ruby said as she pulled her sister into a hug.

* * *

Christina was still asleep when Ruby noticed a man fighting his way onto the deck. Someone at the stairs was trying to prevent him from coming.

  
"I'm sorry sir, but you won't find any of your relatives here. These are only steerage passengers."

  
"Let me through," he insisted, and the steward stepped aside.

  
It was a tall man in a torn suit. He had blonde hair pulled away from his face and blue-green eyes. The bridge of his nose was swollen and purple as if he'd been punched, and his septum had been broken. From his demeanor alone, Ruby had no trouble recognizing Christina's father, although she'd never seen him before. The man looked around like a hawk, searching for his next dinner. He passed by them, glanced at Ruby and the blanketed form of Christina, but saw nothing, and continued. Ruby felt herself breathing more easily when he climbed back up the stairs.

  
"Excuse me, have you been registered yet?" a steward asked as he came up to them.

  
"We have," Leti said, indicating to Ji-ah and her.

  
"We haven't," Ruby replied after clearing her throat.

  
"Can I have your name, please?"

  
"Ruby Baptiste."

  
The man wrote it down on his sheet. Then, he pointed to the bundle of blankets.

  
"And?"

  
"William. You'll have to wait to ask for the last name."


	9. Epilogue: 1929

The mantelpiece was crowded with framed pictures. Christina, seating in her new suit on the beach, Coney Island behind her. Ruby, on stage, singing in a jazz club. The two of them standing in the Mojave Desert. Their trip to Yellowstone. Christina standing proudly by one of the massive sequoias near San Fransisco. Ruby on the beach in Hawaii, the sun setting ahead of her and shining on her face. A collection started when they'd bought a camera for Leti, to apologize for having abandoned her on a lifeboat, and continued on their own, throughout years of traveling. They were always the first thing Ruby looked at when she walked in.

  
"Chris? I'm home."

  
She heard barking outside and guessed the blonde must have been at the back of the house. She left the groceries on the kitchen counter. She would place them in the fridge after. For now, she needed to show something to Christina. She picked up the newspaper and walked through the living room and to the back door.

  
Leti had once asked her why they'd settled for such a small cottage when they had the money to buy a castle. They didn't need more. The least space there was between them, the more comfortable Ruby felt. A part of them had never left that sinking lifeboat, where every breath they drew could be there last. Ruby wanted to stay close and check that every breath Christina took was just like any other, the continuation of life.

  
"Chris?"

  
Christina was in the sheep pen. It wasn't too big and they only had five sheep. She was unsuccessfully trying to train Morgan, their Border Collie, to round the sheep into their barn. Christina was certain she was making progress but Ruby thought she was being too soft with Morgan, who kept goofing off instead of doing what he was supposed to do. Not that she could blame her for it.

  
Christina looked up after instructing Morgan to go and bring the sheep in. Morgan ran to the end of the pen and back, uninterested by the sheep. Ruby shook her head in amusement.

  
"I have something I think you'll want to see."

  
When Morgan came back, barking happily, Christina mindlessly petted his head. She stepped out of the pen, Morgan hot on her heel. He ran past her and stopped in front of Ruby, his tongue lolling out. Somehow, it looked as though he were smiling. Ruby scratched behind his ear.

  
"We're making progress," Christina said, and Ruby gave her the benefit of the doubt, as usual.

  
They kissed and Christina reached for the newspaper. They wouldn't deliver so far away from town, so they usually bought it when they went grocery shopping every few days. However, before Christina could get her hands on it, Ruby pulled it away.

  
"I think you'd rather sit down first."

  
Christina looked at her curiously but did as she was told and sat on the bench under the porch. Ruby sat beside her, and Morgan lay at their feet, keeping a watchful gaze on the sheep. Ruby finally unfolded the newspaper and gave it to Christina. From the headline alone, she knew why Ruby had wanted her to sit down. Disgraced Businessman Dies After Stocks Fall Apart. The picture beside it was her father. Samuel Braithwhite was dead. He died of a heart attack apparently brought about by too much stress, following the drastic fall of the stocks. The article mentioned he left behind a wife and young son, Caleb. The article also mentioned all the tragic losses Braithwhite had already suffered, the death of his first wife, the earthquake which took his son, and the death of his daughter on the Titanic. The newspaper failed to mention how much of an unfathomable asshole he had been.

  
Christina took a shaky breath. She felt Ruby's hand taking hers.

  
"How do you feel?" she asked.

  
"I'm fine. I wish it would have been something more painful than a heart attack, but I'm fine."

  
She hadn't thought about her father in years. He was as dead to her as she had been to him. They still had half of the jewels she'd smuggled off the ship, to sell when their money ran out. That and half of her blood were the only thing she had left of him. Perhaps feeling her distress, Morgan stood up and sat in front of her, looking at her with what seemed to be worry. Christina smiled at him, scratched his ears, and leaned back on the bench closer to Ruby.

  
"I'll take great pleasure in burning the newspaper," she admitted.

  
Ruby pressed a kiss on her temple and hugged her.

  
"Just a few more years and I will have known you longer than I've suffered him," she noted thoughtfully.

  
"That calls for another trip, don't you think?" Ruby suggested.

  
Christina sighed wistfully. She took in the warm morning air, the smell of the flowers growing on the side of the cottage, Morgan's fluffy form seating beside her, Ruby's arms around her, and she thought 'this is what I want'.

  
"In a few years?" Christina suggested.

  
"Yeah, in a few years."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story! Thank you all for reading till the end!  
> I will be back for Christmas and then I have another multichapter story in the works but I'll have to wait a few days after Christmas to post it because of family business. So you can keep an eye out for that!  
> Once again, I hope you enjoyed this story, and have a nice week!


End file.
